Eternal Inamorata
by The Forgotten Lover
Summary: The year is 1920, Bella Swan has just been admitted to Wetmore Asylum for her unnatural sexual preference. Feeling lost and abandoned by the ones she loves, Bella meets her new, lovable roommate Mary Alice Brandon. Evil lurks around the corner as Bella struggles over her attraction for her new roommate. What happens when James comes looking for his prey? Alice/Bella Non-Canon.
1. Chapter 1

**Biloxi, 1920**

Rain drops fell lightly against the window of the car; the only sounds were the tiny beating of the drops and the dull roar of thunder in the distance, causing the sound of the engine to disappear. Bella looked out the window in the backseat of her parent's car, wondering what was about to happen to her, wondering if she was ever going to be free again. She turned to her parents, meeting the back of her father's head, and the soft sobs of her mother, who couldn't bring it to herself to look at her daughter anymore.

Bella didn't know what to say to them anymore, she wasn't sure what she did that was considered so wrong, so evil. All she did was…love someone. Why did that deserve punishment? She was scared, afraid for her safety. She wasn't exactly sure where she was going, all she knew was that her parents told her they were taking her somewhere where they thought they could help her.

The tears began rolling down Bella's cheeks once again, the sight of the sign in front of her made the fear in her heart escalate once again. This couldn't have been where they were taking her. Why would they even consider this as an option?

_Wetmore Asylum_

"You're taking me to an…asylum?" Bella cried out suddenly, wanting to turn around and go back home. She would do whatever her parents wanted, she would behave for them, anything to turn around and just go back home.

Her mother covered her handkerchief over her face and only sobbed louder, her father sighed, and continued driving, not addressing her.

"Please, let's go home. I don't belong here. There's nothing wrong with me. Please, I want to go back home." Bella sat up closer to them, becoming frantic.

Finally her father said something, just as they were turning into the drive that led up to a lonely building. "It's for the best, Isabella. Your thoughts are unnatural. They can help you." He sounded as if he'd been rehearsed.

Bella looked out the window once more, the towering building coming closer into view. Nothing else was out here, they were far away from any source of society, any sign of normalcy. This was perfect place to dump someone off and forget about them. Somewhere they could throw their embarrassment of a daughter, and forget about her. Another wave of hopelessness washed over her as they approached the front gate, and guards in a basic gray uniform opened the gates for her father after he stated Bella's name. He wasn't going to turn back; this is where they were taking her.

"Dad…please. Don't leave me here." Bella whispered, looking to her mother for any kind of response, any kind of recognition besides just crying. "Mom, I don't want to be here. I won't do it anymore, please mother…I won't ever see her again."

Her mother looked to her father as the car came to a stop in front of the building where people were already waiting for them. Expecting her. Her father turned off the car, and shook his head to Bella's mother, any kind of hope of getting out of this situation vanished.

"It's too late Bella…you need help. What you and Susan were doing…it isn't natural. We can't have that in our family. I really hope they can cure you, and then you'll be able to come home. Maybe then you'll find a nice boy and start a family." Bella's mother tried to find hope in a lost cause.

Her face twisted in pain, what kind of sick life was this? To be institutionalized for loving someone? To have love for someone, and to be locked away for it? How can they call love a disease? Bella sat back in her seat, without another word. She had no idea what to say anymore. She suddenly felt disgusted for being related to her parents. How could they do this? Didn't they love her?

Two men dressed in all white, and a woman in a white dress with a black sweater on top approached the car. Bella wasn't moving, not even when they opened the door and greeted her. She didn't look at them, she didn't respond. She stared at her father, who refused to look at her anymore. Her mother's cries grew louder again, and Bella just stared straight ahead.

Weren't they even going to come inside with her? Or were they just going to dump her off like garbage? Too embarrassed or ashamed to face their daughter, who they were locking away for loving another woman.

One of the men opened the back door of the car, Bella hadn't looked their way yet.

"Isabella Swan, we've been expecting you." The woman spoke with a sickening smile. It was her job to smile, to make everything seem okay. Who knew what actually went on behind those doors?

"Ms. Swan? Peter and Charles would like to take your suitcase and help you get settled. If you'll just come with me, you would be making our jobs a lot easier. Mr. and Mrs. Swan, how are you doing today? Would you like to come inside and see where your daughter will be staying?" She tried her best to make conversation out of a horrible situation.

"No, thank you. I can't bare it. We'll sign the papers here." Her mother replied.

Bella turned her attention to the two men who were quietly smiling at her. Charles was a rather plain looking man, red hair, brown eyes, and covered in freckles. His teeth were yellow, probably stained from tobacco use. Peter however, was oddly handsome. He was tall, extremely pale, had dark hair and yellow eyes. Bella seemed slightly at ease when he returned her gaze.

"Ms. Swan, let me help you out of the car. Please." He held out his hand for her as if to warn her that if she didn't get out of the car, they would have to force her out.

Bella looked back at her parents one last time, who refused to return eye contact. She grabbed her suit case, and handed it to Charles, and she took Peter's hand, and withdrew her hand immediately. He was freezing.

"It's okay Ms. Swan, let me help you to the door. Do you want to say good bye to your parents?" Peter asked.

The woman, who was quietly speaking with Bella's parents after handing them a few sheets of paper for them to sign, now turned her attention to Bella. "Let me introduce myself, my name is Katherine Wilson, I am head of the female unit of the asylum. You and I will be spending a lot of time together during your stay. Let me assure you, that we take care of our patients here, and that you and your parents have nothing to worry about. Your health is our top priority." Her hand touched Bella's back lightly and she guided her toward the main entrance. Peter and Charles were waiting on the stairs for her, the rain drops causing their uniforms to stick to their bodies.

Bella turned one last time, one last glimmer of hope she had that this could all turn around, that this could all go away and she could go home was lost when her parents didn't return her gaze. Ms. Wilson returned to the passenger side of the vehicle, this time speaking softer so that Bella could no longer hear what they were discussing. With a few more swipes of the pen, Bella's life was handed away. They gave Ms. Wilson the papers back after a few more seconds of scanning the words, not taking the proper time to look over what exactly they were going to do to their daughter. The car started back up, without any goodbye from them, without even a glance, they were driving away without her, stranding her.

"Come on dear, it does no good to stand here in the rain." Ms. Wilson said quietly.

"They didn't even say goodbye. They didn't even look at me." Bella stood there, in her yellow dress, watching as her parents drove away. She wondered if she would ever see them again. Was this going to be her home for the rest of her life?

She looked up at the building, watching as the rain drops came pouring down on her face. This was not a friendly looking place; there were bars on the windows, an eerie gothic type of architecture. There were gargoyles along the roof top and on the steeple, in the center of the roof, a large cross stood. Her eyes roamed the outside of her new home, the surroundings, and she realized once again how far away from society she was. There were trees, and more trees, the only thing that looked a little comforting was a small lake with what appeared to be a dilapidated dock. She didn't see any patients on the outside, and she found herself wondering if she was ever going to get to go outside again.

"I don't belong here. There's nothing wrong with me." Bella said more to herself than to anyone surrounding her. She looked up one last time at the building, and this time, noticed a figure staring down at her from one of the windows. Small in stature, short black hair. That's all she could make out.

"Oh dear, no one said there was anything wrong with you. We're just here to help you with your thoughts. Get them straightened out. As soon as that's fixed, then you'll be able to go back home."Ms. Wilson smiled at Peter and Charles, who smiled back at her.

Bella looked back at the window, and the figure was gone. She soaked her dress by standing in the rain, and decided that it was best she follow the attendants before they forced her. They seemed polite and nice for now, but Bella wondered what kind of horrors waited for her on the inside. She only had one suitcase, a small, square box filled with clothes mainly, and a few special things that Susan had given her.

She took comfort in knowing that she had that with her at least. The attendants opened the front door for her, and she stepped inside. The main lobby looked rather basic, filled with attendants, all in white, who were running around in their daily routine, paying no mind to Bella. That's when she noticed that there were two heavy doors on the left side of the main desk, which was reinforced with bars on the viewing windows. Above the door, in large red letters, the words _Female Ward _stood out. Bella knew that this is where she was going. On the opposite side of the room was the same type of door, but for men. She was thankful at least, that she wasn't going to be mixed in with men.

"This way Ms. Swan." Ms. Wilson guided her toward the doors which she was afraid of, because she knew she was going to placed behind there, and didn't know when or if she was ever going to come back out.

Peter and Charles were now on either side of Bella, standing right behind her in case she tried to run away. There was no getting out of this anymore. Ms. Wilson held one of the heavy doors open for Bella, and she hesitated at first, looking back at Peter, who looked saddened but nodded encouragingly for her to go ahead and go through.

Once she walked through the door, she was immediately directed to the door on the left, which had a sign above the door in the same red writing, _Admittance. _

"Please, Ms. Swan, take a seat. I want to ask you a few questions before we get you settled if that's alright?" She asked Bella like there was a choice.

Bella nodded. Charles and Peter were waiting right outside the door, but her suitcase had been given to Ms. Wilson. She placed the suitcase on her desk, and opened it up, without asking Bella's permission to do so. This was only the beginning. Her freedom was no more.

"Now Ms. Swan, I know this is a shock to you, and I understand your hesitance of the whole situation. I realize your parents didn't inform you where you were going, so please let me tell you a little bit about us." Ms. Wilson began sorting through Bella's belongings, placing most of her stuff to one side, but tossing other things into a different pile. Her nail file, her razor, even her pens were tossed to one side. She knew she would not be able to keep them, but had hoped that Ms. Wilson wouldn't toss anything away that Susan gave her.

"Well, first let me ask you, do you know exactly why you are here?" Ms. Wilson looked up from her suitcase, and into Bella's eyes.

Bella, who was looking around the office nervously, suddenly felt ashamed of what she was asking. How much had her parents said to her?

"Because I am in love with another woman." She said quietly.

Ms. Wilson nodded her head, "Your thoughts are not natural, Ms. Swan. It is not right to love another woman, do you understand? We are here to help you; we are here to cure you of your illness. So please, don't think that we're here to try to hurt you. We are willing to do everything possible to ensure that you return to society and are able to live a normal, happy life. Do you understand what I am saying, dear?"

Bella could feel fresh tears trickling down her face. The familiar warmth of the tears, tracked down her face and onto her lips, where she opened her mouth to speak, "How is it an illness to love someone?"

Ms. Wilson didn't respond, she moved the suitcase to the side, placing most of her belongings back into the suitcase, and locking it back. She turned her attention to a pile of papers sitting to the left of her, the ones Bella's parents signed. Bella tried to make out what it was, but couldn't read the fine writing. The next few minutes went by in silence as Ms. Wilson read over the paper in front of her.

"From what your parents tell me, Susan is no longer a part of your life?" Ms. Wilson finally asked.

Bella leaned back into the seat, wiping her tears away. "No, she isn't."

Ms. Wilson smiled at that, pleased with Bella's answer. "Good, that is the first step to recovering. We have a lot more planned for you Ms. Swan. Peter, can you go ahead and take Ms. Swan's belongings to room…let me see here."

Ms. Wilson took out another sheet of paper, and was examining it while Peter stood there quietly. "Why don't we place her with Ms. Brandon, in room 12? I think she'll be fine rooming with her, as long as we keep a good eye on the both of them."

Peter nodded, and his smile grew wider. He seemed almost pleased at the name. "Yes ma'am. I'll go set up her side of the room and make sure everything is prepared. I'll inform Ms. Brandon that she's going to have a roommate."

"Thank you Peter. Charles, if you'll stay here a while longer while I continue my discussion with Ms. Swan here."

Charles nodded, and continued standing by the door. Bella glanced at him once and he returned her gaze with a creepy smile. She didn't like him very much.

"Now, we're having you room with Ms. Brandon, but I expect the best behavior from you. I don't want to catch anything unnatural going on between the two of you, or anyone for that matter. I can't place you in the men's ward. Things will be a little different for you, Ms. Swan. You can room with females and interact with them, but certain things like showers and changing will be separate. We can't have any kind of influence of any sort, and the sooner you understand that, the sooner you will recover. Do you understand what I am saying?"

Bella was in a sort of daze, all of this was so overwhelming, and most of the words Ms. Wilson said flew past her head. Her thoughts were going in all directions, but she was trying so hard to focus on the moment and pay attention to what she was being told, but her mind wouldn't let her.

She began rubbing at her knees, trying to calm down. Bella didn't want to cry anymore, but she didn't know what else to do. Her girlfriend left her, her parents left her, and now she was being admitted into a mental institution. She had never felt so lost in her life than she did at this moment. She was only 17, too young for all these bad things to be happening to her.

Ms. Wilson could see that she was becoming overwhelmed, and almost looked sympathetic. Bella looked like a sweet enough girl; she had just been taken off course with her thoughts on love. That was all, she definitely wasn't the worst case they had received, and she thought it might be best to take it easy on her on her first day.

Ms. Wilson sighed, looking at Bella who was clearly distraught. "I'm sorry, Bella, is that alright to call you?"

Bella nodded.

"Right, Bella, I'm sorry, this must be a lot for you to take in. Why don't we continue this conversation later? You're here now, would you like to rest for a while, collect your thoughts?"

Bella looked up at Ms. Wilson through blurry eyes, and nodded her head again. She didn't feel like talking anymore.

"Charles, can you escort Bella to her room? We'll talk once you get some rest." Ms. Wilson tried her best to smile encouragingly to Bella, but she didn't seem to respond.

She stood up from her spot and looked at Charles, who gave her another creepy smile. He held the door open for her, and Bella stepped back into the hallway without giving Ms. Wilson another glance. He quietly walked her down the hallway, where they entered the common area. There were few tables with various games, a sofa to sit, where some of the patients were sitting. Curious, they all looked up at the same time to see who the new girl was. She didn't return their stares. Bella hadn't seen the figure that was watching her yet. A few nurses were sitting in the common room, watching the patients, or talking amongst themselves. Nothing out of the ordinary had occurred yet, and Bella was thankful for that.

Bella realized she was still in her yellow dress, which was still soaked from the rain. She just wanted to get out of her clothes and rest. She wanted to forget about this day, she wanted it to be over. Charles had said nothing the entire time he guided her to her room, he just continued to smile and stare as they continued walking down the corridor. Peter was standing ahead at one of the doors, waiting patiently for her.

"Ms. Swan, this will be where you'll be staying. I'd like you to meet your roommate, Ms. Brandon." He gestured for Bella to enter the room, and Bella nodded thanks to him and turned the corner to look inside the room. She had no idea who she was about to meet.

That's when she saw her; the figure that was watching her through the window outside was now sitting directly in front of her. She was sitting on her bed, wearing a plain white shirt and black pants. Her head had recently been shaved, but had begun to grow back. Bella stopped in her tracks when she made eye contact with her, unable to move further. She was absolutely beautiful. Her smile radiated across the room, how could she be so happy to be in a place like this?

"Hello Ms. Swan, I'm Mary Brandon. I've been waiting for you for ages now. It's nice to finally meet you." She sat up from her position on her bed, and walked over to Bella, giving her a warm hug. Bella stood there, motionless, unsure of what to do. This beautiful woman was hugging her, and she wasn't exactly sure how to respond. Ms. Wilson made it clear not to make any mistakes, but how was she supposed to room with someone like Mary, and not make any mistakes?

Mary turned and looked at Peter who shook his head slightly at her, and she let go. She extended her hand for Bella, asking for a handshake. "I'm sorry; I can be a bit too friendly at times."

Bella took Mary's hand carefully in her own, and shook it slightly. She wasn't used to handshakes either. "I'm Isabella, but you may call me Bella." she managed to say.

Mary laughed, still holding on to Bella's hand, "I know your name, silly. I must say I'm looking forward to rooming with you. I think we're going to have a great time together."

She let go of Mary's hand, and looked over at the small bed on the opposite side of the room. There wasn't much space between the two beds. How was she supposed to room with the most beautiful woman she has ever seen before? How was she ever going to get out of here with a roommate like her?

"Oh, and Bella?"

Bella turned her attention back to her beautiful new roommate. "Yes?"

"I'd like it if you called me Alice. That's my middle name, and I prefer it over Mary."

"Of course, Alice. It's a pleasure to meet you."

* * *

**A/N: It has been a while since I've written for this pairing, but I had this idea to write a story for them, and think I can develop it into something good. I really love this pairing, and love the theme of time, and if love can last over the ages. So this is where we meet Alice and Bella, both human, both in the same institution. What will happen between the two and their time spent here? A fair warning, if I do continue this, there will be what some may consider dark themes. Sensitive topics on the nature of love, and how homosexuality used to be viewed. With that in mind, I hope you enjoy what I've written, and stick around for more. Thank you.**


	2. Chapter 2

The first day of Bella's new life was spent with her sleeping most of the day. After her introduction to her new roommate Alice, she tried as hard as she could to get her mind off how beautiful she was, and focus on what she was going to do in order leave as soon as possible. However, Alice was intriguing. Bella lay on her small bed, in her corner of the room and faced the wall. Their door was closed, Peter and Charles were nowhere in sight, Bella could hear Alice in her corner, breathing and shifting occasionally. She wondered if Alice might've been staring at her back. She didn't dare turn around to find out.

Night eventually came and Bella wasn't in the mood for dinner, so when the door opened and Alice sat up, she remained lying down, unmoving. The nurse didn't bother trying to wake her, and Alice left as quietly as she could. At least her gorgeous new roommate was considerate. She watched as the light from the hallway disappeared from the wall, and heard the soft clicking of the door. When the door was finally shut, Bella finally felt it was safe to cry.

The tears rolled down her face, fast and free. The drops tickled her face, and she felt the taste of the salt from the tears glide across her lips. How was Bella going to make it out of here? How could she stop being who she was on the inside? Why were people treated this way for loving someone? Everything seemed so hopeless.

Bella wiped her tears and reached for her suitcase, which was still on the floor where Peter left it. They hadn't taken all of her stuff. She still had clothes, she still had memories of Susan in her suitcase, and if she didn't tell anyone, no one would know her secret. They can't take away something significant if she didn't tell them.

She sat the suitcase on her lap, and slowly opened it. She pulled out a night shirt, and figured since Alice wasn't in the room with her that it would be okay to change while she was alone. The nurse would come back and see that she was changed, and there wouldn't be an issue. The thought of being treated differently, like an outcast, made Bella sick to her stomach. She was already humiliated enough, she felt like she didn't deserve this kind of treatment.

She pulled off her yellow dress from earlier in the day, and remembered when she had put it on in the morning. She was in her room, in her own room, and it felt like that was years ago. Who knew she would be in an asylum only a few hours later? She thought of her mother and father, who were probably back at home, trying to think of an excuse for her absence. She wondered what kind of nonsense her mother would come up with to avoid the embarrassing truth, that her daughter was admitted involuntarily for her sexual orientation.

The thought of her parents caused a few more tears to fall, as she quickly pushed off her dress and slipped into a long night shirt, enough to fall just above her knees. She didn't want Alice or the nurse to come in and find her changing, that would only cause more trouble for her.

Bella sat upright on her bed for the next several minutes, holding her head in her hands. The tears kept coming out, she couldn't control them now. She tried to be strong, and tried to hold it all in, but it was only a matter of time before it all came spilling back out. That was when the door to her room opened and Alice came walking in with a plate of food for Bella in her hands.

She stared at Bella quietly for a minute, just watching. She saw Alice standing there, but she couldn't stop herself. It was too much for her to handle, even if there was someone watching her, she just couldn't hold it all inside.

"Bella?" Alice questioned, taking a step further inside the room, and allowing the door to close behind her. There was no nurse with her this time.

She sat the plate of food on the table next to Bella's bed, and knelt on the floor in front of her in order to look up into her eyes that were hidden behind her hands. Her hand reached out and touched Bella softly on the knee, which made Bella jump slightly.

"Do you want to tell me what's bothering you?" Alice asked, trying to get Bella to look at her.

Bella took a deep breath and uncovered her eyes, looking into Alice's light brown eyes for the first time. She saw kindness and innocence, unlike anything she has ever seen before. She was beautiful.

Alice smiled slightly; the look of concern still etched across her face.

"You shouldn't touch me." Bella sighed, breaking eye contact from Alice to look at her hand on her knee.

Alice didn't move her hand, "Why shouldn't I touch you?" She asked, curious.

"They might not like it." Bella gestured to the door, and looked back at Alice, "In fact, I'm not sure you'll want to touch me after you find out why I'm here."

Alice moved her hand slightly against Bella's knee, but still kept it on her. "Why don't you tell me why you're here then, and let me decide what to think?"

Bella smiled slightly, she already liked this woman and they've only spoken a handful of times. She wasn't entirely sure if that was a good thing based on where they were.

"Are you sure you really want to know? I don't want to make you afraid of being in the same room as me."

"I doubt that you could do that, Bella. You seem like a really nice girl." Alice dared to reach up and push Bella's hair behind her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

Susan never caused Bella to shiver.

"You'll find out eventually why I'm here, so I might as well tell you now. My parents committed me against my will because they found out…I'm attracted to other women."

Alice looked confused for a moment; she squinted her eyes and looked away from Bella as if thinking about something. Finally, she responded, "Is that all?"

Bella couldn't help but let out a half sob, half laugh. She nodded her head sadly at the absurdity of the situation, relieved that Alice hadn't recoiled and pulled away. She was still touching Bella's knee, still kneeling in front of her and didn't let go.

"That doesn't make sense. There's nothing wrong with loving someone…I'm so sorry this happened to you. You don't belong here." Alice's face dropped as she finished her sentence. The realization of the situation caused her to shed an unexpected tear that she quickly wiped away.

"Please, I didn't mean to cause you to cry." Bella felt her own tears coming back at the sight of Alice in pain. How could she already feel so much for this person she hardly knew?

Alice shook her head, and finally sat up from her position on the floor to sit next to Bella. "Don't be upset Bella, I don't understand why we just can't love...there's so much pain and evil in the world, love shouldn't be treated as an illness."

_Who is this girl? How can she be so…different? _Bella thought to herself. She looked at Alice through her swollen eyes; she wasn't crying anymore.

"I believe in a future where people can love freely, they can be whoever they want, and love anyone they want to, without repercussion. I've seen it before." She pulled Bella against her body for a hug, who was at first hesitant to accept the form of comfort, but eventually relaxed and wrapped her arms around Alice's small figure. She felt comforted for the first time in ages; this wasn't something she was used to.

Bella had gone through heart break, first with Susan and then with her family. Those were the only people she had ever cared about and they left her. She had no one left in her life who loved her, but here was Alice, a woman she hardly knew, making her feel loved. She felt like she actually mattered.

Alice pulled away finally and gestured toward the plate of food. "I thought you might be hungry, so I brought you some leftover chicken. The food they make here isn't that great, but it's edible."

Bella smiled softly, "That's encouraging. I'm not really that hungry though. I don't have much of an appetite. It's been a long day." She noticed the space between them was almost nonexistent, but Alice didn't seem to mind.

"I understand, I never really cared for their food, but we have to eat to stay alive." Alice seemed to notice Bella eying their distance, and hesitated before she stood up and walked to her side of the room. She didn't want to scare her new roommate away.

"Alice…why are you so nice? How can you be so understanding? If anyone else knew about me, I would be immediately cast away." Bella asked without thinking. She wanted Alice to come back to her side of the room.

The pixie stopped in the middle of the room, turned and faced Bella with a small smile and shrugged. "I guess I'm just different. I don't see love as something that needs to be fixed; rather it's something that should be embraced."

She just stared at Alice, unable to think of something to say. Alice made her way to her bed, and reached underneath her bed and into her suitcase. Bella watched in silence as she looked through her suitcase, there wasn't much of anything in it except for some clothes. In fact, her side of the room was void of any sort of decorations, pictures, or any kind of symbol of having a family. The only thing Bella noticed was a tiny, stuffed pig that sat on the pillow of her bed.

"Do you mind if I change here? I don't want to have to walk all the way to the wash room to change." Alice asked, but was already working on removing her top. Bella saw a flash of white flesh when she lifted up her shirt and her eyes were glued to her as if in a trance. This girl was going to be trouble.

Bella snapped out of her thoughts as her eyes widened at the sight before her, she forced herself to turn away and blushed. "I'm not sure if they'd like you doing that in front of me." She warned.

Alice laughed quietly, "They aren't going to come check on us, trust me. Most of the nurses are more concerned about the new gossip column rather than check in on their patients. The only reason they would come check in on us after dinner, is if they had a good reason to do so."

"Don't you think rooming with someone like me is a good reason for them to watch us carefully?" Bella asked. She was now looking at the wall, memorizing certain cracks and bumps. Anything to take her mind off the woman next to her.

That's when she felt the dip in her bed, and a warm hand placed on her shoulder. "Bella, they won't come back. Trust me, I just know."

She was afraid to turn around and look at Alice. Her new roommate seemed to be very touchy feely. It was like Alice had known Bella for the longest time, and Bella almost felt as if she knew Alice once before. In another lifetime, perhaps they did know each other.

"I'm dressed Bella, you can turn around."

She nodded her head, and looked back toward Alice who had one knee propped against her bed, with a soft smile that matched the look in her eyes.

"Alice…can I ask you something?" Bella didn't move Alice's hand from her shoulder, so she kept it there as she came closer.

"Sure"

"Why are you here? You seem so nice; I don't understand why you're here."

Alice's smile faded after that, and she dropped her gaze. Bella immediately regretted asking. "I'm sorry…I shouldn't have asked such a personal question."

"No, that's not it. Honestly Bella, I don't know why I'm here. I don't remember."

"What do you mean?"

Alice was quiet for a minute. She wasn't sure how to answer the question. She didn't want to scare Bella, but wouldn't she find out eventually? Would she be put through the same treatment?

"Some of the treatments help people forget bad things. I don't know why I'm here because they made me forget. And at this particular moment, I'd rather not remember what happened."

This scared Bella, she didn't want to lose her memory. She wanted to remember everything. She hoped that they weren't going to make her forget about Susan. She was the only happy memory she had right now.

"Does the treatment hurt?" Bella asked.

Alice shook her head, "Don't worry about things like that; I don't think you have anything to worry about." She rubbed Bella's shoulders in attempt to sooth her.

"I don't want to be here." Bella whispered. She felt fresh tears pool at the bottom of her eyes, and blinked them away.

"Please, don't cry. You don't deserve to be here Bella. No one does. This may not sound like much since you just met me, but I'm right here next to you. You aren't alone like you think you might be." Alice looked around the room for some kind of solution to the problem, some kind of answer that would help solve Bella's problems and finally rested her eyes on her bed.

She stood up quickly, and moved to her bed to grab the stuffed pig. "You can sleep with my pig tonight. He is the only thing I have from my mother, or so I'm told."

Bella smiled through her tears, "I don't want to take your pig away from you. Especially if it's the only thing you have from her."

"You won't be taking it away, I'm right here too, if you need someone to talk to. I'm right here next to you, remember that." Alice reached for Bella's arms, and placed the pig in one of her hands.

Bella accepted the stuffed pig, and looked down at it closely. Inspecting its fur, the brown and white spotted pig did look rather cute. "Thank you Alice. You're too kind."

She finally got up from the bed and switched off the light in their room before she went to her own bed. "I hope you sleep well Bella. I know the blankets aren't that comfortable, and the bed is hard, but if you need anything, or get upset, I'm right here, okay?"

"Thank you. Good night Alice." Bella lay back down against her bed, and stared up at the ceiling. She was right about the blankets being uncomfortable, they were itchy. The window that sat between them cast moon light against the ceiling, and she watched as the shadows of the tree limbs made different patterns along the ceiling until she became tired.

She gripped the stuffed pig against her chest and smelled it. It smelled like her, like Alice. She looked over in Alice's direction, who was already fast asleep like there wasn't a worry in the world. Bella wondered how someone like Alice could exist. To be so kind and caring to a stranger was so unnatural to her, especially after she told her why she was there. Alice certainly was different, that wasn't a bad thing though. Bella's eyes grew heavy and the last thing she saw before she fell asleep was Alice's face, smiling in her sleep. She must've been having a good dream.

...

The next day Bella woke up from being shaken slightly against her shoulder. She groaned and opened her eyes to see Alice standing there, waiting for her to get up. She had the pig wrapped in her arms like it was a person; it really did bring her comfort, surprisingly.

"Since you didn't eat last night, I think you need to have breakfast. You should get up before the nurse comes." Alice pulled on Bella's arm gently, trying to get her new friend out of bed. The smaller girl struggled getting Bella to move, which caused Bella to laugh at her attempts.

"Alright, I'm getting up. You don't have to exert yourself further." Bella sat up in her bed, and looked around for fresh clothes to wear. "They don't have any rules about what I wear, do they?"

"If it's safe to wear, then it's fine. Otherwise, they will give you just a basic grey or white shirt. Nothing too fancy is allowed here."

Bella nodded her head, and gathered a few items of clothing, and a bracelet. "Where are the wash rooms?"

"I'll show you." Alice gestured toward the door. She already changed and was ready to go. Bella followed her through the door as Alice led the way down the hall. There weren't many people around, just a couple of patients and a nurse.

"The wash room is right there." Alice pointed to an open doorway at the end of the hall with a nurse standing in front of it.

"Thank you Alice." Bella started walking toward the door but was stopped when a hand was placed on her shoulder. Bella thought it was Alice, and turned around to see what she wanted but was disappointed when she saw a nurse standing there with a frown.

"You're not allowed in there, someone is changing. You'll have to wait Ms. Swan." The nurse held a clip board with notes on it. They must have been informed of why she was here.

Bella nodded her head, not wanting to get in any trouble, and stood outside the door with two of the nurses. Alice stood there for a minute, not sure what to do. Her hair was far too short to be brushed still, but little spikes of her hair stuck out in some places. Not wanting to gather any unwanted attention, Bella motioned for Alice to go ahead without her. She nodded, getting the silent message, and turned around. Bella's eyes roamed the backside of Alice as she walked away, admiring the beautiful woman. Wishing that she wasn't in this dreadful position, where she had to be afraid to show her true self.

"How was your first night, Ms. Swan?" One of the nurses questioned.

"It was okay. Hard to be away from home." Bella kept it short.

The nurse nodded as if she understood, "Hopefully your visit with us will be a short one…but that is really up to you."

Bella remained silent, and focused her attention to the window that was at the end of the hall. From there, she had a view of the lake she saw when she first walked in. It looked rather nice, the sun was out today, and it made the area look completely different than it had the day before.

"Ms. Newton, your five minutes are up! Come on out of there." The nurse shouted, causing Bella to jump.

"How could it have been five minutes already? For Christ's Sake, I just got in the damn shower!" A voice echoed from inside the showers.

The nurses sighed, and gave each other knowing looks. The woman who spoke to Bella now shouted back. "Helen, I am giving you thirty seconds to get back out here or you know what's going to happen."

Silence. The sound of running water stopped, the faucets squeaked and the pipes rattled. A few seconds later a girl, who must've been at the most thirteen, came walking out in a plain grey sweater and pants. Her hair was soaking wet, but she didn't seem to care. Her eyes met Bella's and she smiled, and stuck out her hand.

"Hello, my name is Helen." Her hand waited for Bella.

She looked at the nurses, who nodded in the direction of the younger girl, as if it was okay to go ahead. She extended her hand and met Helen's, who shook it firmly and smiled. A couple of her teeth from the bottom of her mouth were missing.

"I'm Bella Swan." Bella pulled her lips up in a forced smile.

"Alright Helen, let Ms. Swan take her turn in the shower now. Why don't you go with her Diane, and see that Helen gets breakfast?" The nurse gestured. She had long black hair that was held back with a clasp and black glasses that matched the color of her hair.

Diane, the nurse who was waiting by the shower this entire time, sighed and nodded her head. She was older, most of her hair was brown, but had patches of grey sprouting. Bella wondered idly if that was from age or stress.

"Come on Helen, let's go." Diane gestured. Helen's hand was still on Bella's and she was pulled apart from her grip.

"Bye Bella!" Helen shouted.

"Alright, Ms. Swan, you have five minutes. Make it quick. Shower, brush your teeth, and get dressed. You don't want me to come in and have to fetch you, trust me."

"Can I ask what your name is?" Bella asked.

"Grace Dickenson. Now hurry up."

Bella hurried into the shower, and rushed with everything as fast as she could. Nurse Dickenson shouted the minutes as they passed by and soon enough Bella realized her time was almost up and she wasn't dressed. She threw her clothes on quickly, and rushed out of the shower with a few seconds to spare. She didn't get to spend as much time as she wanted to in there, which didn't allow for much grooming, but she got the most of it out of the way.

"Now, off to breakfast." Nurse Dickenson began walking swiftly and Bella followed. She didn't get a good look at the inside of the building the day before, so she tried her best to memorize where everything was.

She heard the sound of voices growing, and once they turned down a hallway the room opened up to a small cafeteria. There were at least fifty women in there; nurses were stationed at different ends of the room, all watching the patients carefully. No one seemed to notice that Bella was standing there, which didn't bother her one bit.

"Hurry up dear, before breakfast is over."

Bella went up to the cooks, who looked as if they were patients as well, had a plate ready to go for her. Eggs and a dry piece of toast. She took the plate and thanked the cooks who didn't even notice her. Most of the tables were full of people and their own little groups, and she wondered where Alice was. She didn't see her in any of the groups, and that's when she noticed her at one of the tables in the corner of the room, by herself.

Alice hadn't noticed Bella staring, and continued eating her breakfast, looking down at her plate of food. She made her way toward the table in the corner, and set her plate down against the table, which made Alice look up, surprised.

"Oh, hello you. Have a nice shower?"

"Not much of a shower." Bella sat down, and Alice's smile grew.

"I know, it's your first time though. They monitor certain people and give them a limit, hopefully it won't last long with you and you can have more personal time."

"I didn't even have time to brush my hair. My back is soaked and I probably look like a mess." Bella twisted the silver bracelet on her wrist, remembering the day that Susan gave it to her.

"You don't need to brush your hair." Alice's voice lowered. "You're beautiful just as you are now."

Bella laughed nervously and blushed. She focused her gaze on her eggs, and attempted to poke them with her fork. "Thank you, Alice."

Alice just smiled and watched Bella as she tasted the eggs. They were sort of rubbery, and way too salty, but they were edible. The toast was a bit hard to swallow, but luckily they provided a glass of orange juice to go with it.

"So where did you get that bracelet from? It's pretty." Alice pointed at Bella's wrist.

Bella looked down at her wrist and smiled, "My friend Susan gave it to me. She has one that matches mine." The bracelet was rather plain, a silver band with the words _Best Friends _etched in the metal. It wasn't much to look at but still was special to her.

"Who's Susan?" Alice asked, curious.

She glanced around at the nurses around her and decided it was best to keep quiet. She didn't say anything, but Alice somehow picked up on the hint and understood. "Oh, well...are you and Susan still friends?"

She shook her head, not finding the words, and not feeling completely comfortable about speaking of Susan. "We parted ways on bad terms. I'll have to tell you the whole story someday."

Alice looked around, it didn't seem like anyone was near them, or even paying attention to the two of them. Everyone was in their own little world, including the nurses. She wanted to ask Bella why she still wore the bracelet if they weren't together anymore, if she still cared for Susan, if she still loved her, but didn't feel like it was the right moment to ask. Maybe in time, when they were alone, she could ask.

"I'm always here. I'm sorry it didn't work out."

Bella shrugged, and ate the rest of her food. People around them were getting up and leaving, all of them had different places to be, different treatments, and different activities. She wondered where she was going to go; Ms. Wilson didn't tell her what exactly was going to happen. The sudden realization of not knowing what was going to happen made Bella sick, any appetite she had was now gone.

"I don't know where I'm supposed to go now." Bella said to Alice.

Alice was about to speak when a voice interrupted the two of them, "Ms. Swan, it's nice to see you eating something. I was concerned about you last night when I didn't see you in here. I hope Ms. Brandon has been kind and showed you how things work around here. If you'll come with me, I'd like to introduce you to one of our doctors." Ms. Wilson stood behind Bella, something in her appearance didn't seem quite right.

Bella stood up without another word, and followed Ms. Wilson out of the cafeteria. She gave Alice one last glance, who now looked concerned for her friend. Ms. Wilson led Bella to a set of stairs where they walked up one flight and toward a door on the left side of the hall. Peter was standing outside of the door, smiling comfortingly at Bella who tried her best to return the smile.

"Now if you'll just wait right here with Peter, I have some things I need to talk to the doctor about before you see him." Ms. Wilson stepped ahead of Bella and into the office, shutting the door behind her.

She couldn't hear what they were discussing, but she felt herself only becoming more nervous. What were they going to do with her? Were they going to do something to hurt her, or just talk to her? She folded her arms against her chest nervously and began to pace.

"Don't be afraid. They just want to talk to you." Peter whispered to Bella.

Bella looked up at him; his eyes were darker than she remembered them. Maybe it was the lighting in the room that made the color look different. She only nodded her head, and continued to pace. She wasn't entirely sure who to trust, everything was so new.

"Come along, Swan. The doctor will see you now." Ms. Wilson interrupted Bella's pacing. She nodded her head and quietly entered the doctor's office. Once she was inside the door behind her closed, and she stood there staring at the figure sitting down in front of her.

"Ms. Swan, I'm Dr. Irving. I'd like to talk to you a little bit about why you're here. Please, have a seat. I assure you there is nothing to fear." A man, with balding brown hair and glasses sat on the opposite side of the desk. He didn't look friendly, but at the same time, he didn't appear to be a threat.

Bella looked at the chairs in front of the desk, and cautiously sat down against one of them. Her muscles were tense; she could feel herself preparing to run out the door if anything should happen. She couldn't find it in her to relax.

"How are you finding our facility?" He asked.

"I haven't had much time to become comfortable. My parents brought me here yesterday."

"Of course, it must be a shock for you to be here. Everything is so new, so different. I'm sure you don't know what to expect. Rest assured that we are here to help you, not to harm you. It is in everyone's best interest that your visit here with us is as quick as possible. Now I understand your parents brought you here because of your sexual perversion." Dr. Irving looked through a few sheets of paper, her record was already growing and she had only been here a day.

"Perversion?" Bella asked.

"You are sexually attracted to women, are you not?" The doctor looked up at Bella from his sheets of paper.

Bella suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable. She could feel herself beginning to sweat. "I wouldn't call it a perversion."

Dr. Irving started scribbling on his notes the moment she started to speak. "And why not?"

"Because love isn't a perversion."

"Homosexuality, Ms. Swan, is not natural. It is immoral, unnatural, and is an illness that needs to be addressed properly. I believe with the right course of action and proper treatment, we can cure you."

Bella thought carefully about what she should say to him. Should she play along with him, and agree, or should she say what was really on her mind? She remained silent, and just stared at the doctor.

"Now your parents have informed our staff of your past, and relationship with Susan Miller. Ms. Wilson stated that she is no longer part of your life, and that is a very good thing. We don't have to break that attachment anymore."

Bella looked away from him, no longer wanting to listen. She wanted to leave, to go back to her room and just sleep. She wasn't used to being asked these kinds of questions.

"How close were you with Ms. Miller?" He asked as he continued taking notes.

"What do you mean?"

"Your parents stated that they discovered you and Ms. Miller in your bedroom, neither of you were clothed. Were you intimate with one another, Ms. Swan?" Dr. Irving asked with an odd expression on his face. He almost seemed pleased to be asking this question.

Bella covered her mouth with her hand, shocked by how much their parents had told these strangers. She didn't want to answer him. He already knew the answer; he didn't have to make it worse by asking. The doctor waited for a couple of seconds, and decided to continue without Bella's response.

"I know this is hard on you, but I believe this is the best thing for you. I just wanted to talk to you and see how you would respond. Don't be afraid Ms. Swan; we will take good care of you here. We can schedule visits with your parents, and even friends, and this will all seem like a distant memory. You'll look back at this moment in your life and thank me one day."

"I just want to go home. I don't want to be here." Bella answered quietly.

"Do you think anyone really wants to be here? We all want to go home Ms. Swan, it's really up to you how soon that will be. Not everyone has that luxury."

"Meaning?"

"You have a choice Ms. Swan. You don't have to live the lifestyle you're currently living. You can be a normal part of society if you choose."

"I don't think it's a choice. The love I felt was real, it was normal to me. It was right…in here." Bella pointed to her chest.

Dr. Irving was quiet for a moment, scribbling things down on his notes. "That's what needs to be fixed."

Bella still had her hand on her chest, and dropped it. There wasn't going to be any convincing, the doctor wasn't going to see things her way. There was no changing the way he thought about her situation.

"I want you to enjoy the rest of the day, Ms. Swan. Don't worry about a thing; we will get you home as soon as possible. Sexual perversion is my specialty, there were patients who were far worse than what your situation is, and I must say, all of my patients are now living normal, healthy lives. Rest assured, you are in good hands."

Bella only felt fear. She was afraid for her future. How was she ever going to live life the way society wanted her to? She loved women, not men. The boys she dated in her past were nothing compared to the way it felt when she and Susan were together. Just one touch changed everything. She knew any form of treatment couldn't change who she was on the inside, so what was she going to do? Pretend everything is okay while she died on the inside, or stay in the asylum while the world moved on without her?

* * *

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who is following. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

The days began to pass Bella by, slowly but surely. The came and they went, Bella spent most of her time sleeping. She decided life was better spent in her dreams in her head rather than in the real world. In her dreams, she could be whoever she wanted to be, love whoever she wanted, and on the outside, society sent her away for it. Alice was there in the background, always sitting in the bed next to Bella, minding her own space and letting Bella sleep. For that, Bella was thankful.

Over the days she also noticed that Alice didn't socialize with anyone else in the facility, except for Peter. The few times Bella went out to eat something, or to shower, she noticed Alice and Peter in the corner of a hallway, or somewhere with less traffic, whispering to one another. This caused Bella to become suspicious of their relationship, and wondered what exactly was going on between them. She felt a small ache in her chest, because she thought that maybe Alice might've been like her. She was tired of hoping for something good, and figured she was better off forgetting about this girl now than to get hurt again in the future. Alice was so understanding of Bella's situation, so caring, that Bella hoped there was something more, lingering below the surface. The small flame of hope Bella held slowly dimmed as the days passed. She was surprised she was still capable of emotion in the first place.

Today there was going to be a group meeting, and a socializing event which Bella had no intention of going to. She only wanted to sleep, to forget about her life, but Ms. Wilson wasn't going to have that. She insisted that both Bella and Alice attend, because the both of them were acting like hermits.

"You can have female friends Bella, maybe it'll even help to get out and socialize. Don't be afraid of making friends." Ms. Wilson told her at breakfast that morning.

She insisted on eating breakfast with Bella that morning, leaving Alice to eat alone. Bella came to know a few of the other patients by word of mouth through Alice, Ms. Wilson, or just eavesdropping. Most of the women there were older that her, and had committed serious crimes, or was declared mentally insane. However there were also teenagers and children, which made Bella feel all the more depressed. None of them seemed to be getting the help they needed, it was more like a place to keep them hidden than a place to help. Sedation seemed to be the main form of treatment, at least the most harmless of treatments. Bella wasn't introduced to the more severe forms.

One night while Bella was trying to sleep, she heard screaming coming from the floor above her. She had no idea what was above her, but it terrified her. Alice was awake, and told Bella to cover her ears, that she didn't need to hear what was going on. Alice covered her head with a pillow and began to hum, which caused Bella to relax slightly. She had a beautiful voice, it was soothing. Eventually the screaming stopped and all that could be heard was the gentle autumn breeze of the wind outside, and the humming of Alice.

Bella's visits with Dr. Irving were three times a week, Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays. So far, the only thing they've discussed is Bella's upbringing and how it might've influenced her present thoughts. The truth was that Bella always felt this way. Ever since she could remember, she had always been attracted to women. When she was a child, she had school girl crushes on her classmates and even her teachers from time to time. She always thought it was normal; it was a part of who she was, although she knew her parents would never accept that kind of lifestyle, Bella couldn't change how she felt inside.

The doctor hadn't approached the subject of Susan just yet, it seemed that he wanted to go in order of her life's events to try and pinpoint the source of her behavior. She knew if she tried to talk back or disagree with the doctor, that she would be subjected to a different kind of treatment. So as long as she behaved and pretended that just talking to the doctor was helping her, she would continue to remain silent and accept what Dr. Irving was telling her, no matter how much it infuriated her.

So now Bella sat in a room full of women that she hadn't met yet, but had seen around the facility. Alice was supposed to join, but hadn't showed up yet. The room they were in was wide open, white walls, and the windows were exposed. The paint was chipped around the windows, and cob webs sat in the corners of the room. The nurses hadn't done a very good job of tidying up lately, not that they cared enough to do so. The weather was absolutely beautiful, the sun shone in through the windows, lighting up the place and making it seem like the place was halfway decent. Bella stared idly at the shadow the clouds made against the floor as they passed beneath the sun.

"So, what's it like rooming with the witch?" A voice asked next to her.

Bella looked up and met the eyes of a woman who seemed a bit older than her; she had short red hair, which was just now starting to grow out again. Confused, Bella asked, "Excuse me?"

"Don't you board with Brandon?"

Bella nodded her head, "I do. What do you mean by witch?"

She laughed at that, "I'm surprised you haven't seen anything yet. She practices witchcraft, black magic."

"Alice? No, you must be mistaken. She doesn't do any of that." Bella was starting to wonder if this woman was serious, or just delusional.

The red head cocked her head back and raised her eyebrows, surprised by Bella's reaction. "You mean to tell me you haven't seen her…you know? Acting weird, talking to herself? Barbara used to room with her, she told me she'd wake up in the middle of the night and see Brandon muttering to herself, not making a bit of sense. I'm Janet, by the way."

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about Janet."

"If Barbara were still here, she'd tell you all about it. They moved her to a different ward though, but before she left, she told me all about Ms. Brandon. She talks to the dead, you know?"

Bella's face only became more and more scrunched in confusion as Janet kept talking. "How can we be talking about the same person? I've never seen her talking to anyone."

"That's because they fried it out of her, at least I hope they did. Rumor has it that she was sent here for participating in devil worshipping. She even foretold her mother's death, claiming she could see visions of the future, but I think it was her. I think it was her that killed her mother, for some kind of sacrifice to the devil, and her poor father had no choice but to send his daughter here instead of facing prison." Janet nodded her head vigorously; her eyes were wide and almost frightening.

Bella couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could that even be possible? More women started to come into the room, until there was a group of about ten women. All of them seemed to know each other, and began conversing quietly with one another. Janet waved at a few of them, and Bella hoped that she would leave her alone finally, but she turned her attention back to Bella.

"I would watch out if I were you. Don't be afraid to run for help if you wake up in the middle of the night and hear something strange. I'd be afraid to sleep in the same room as her, so be careful darling. Do you have a crucifix with you just in case?"

_So I can throw it at her if she starts speaking in tongues? _Bella thought to herself. She didn't believe Janet, but the woman looked so concerned that Bella didn't want to question her. She didn't know this woman, or know the state of her mental health, so she just shook her head.

"The church on the third floor can provide one for you. I have one in my room, and it keeps her away from me."

_I don't think that's what's keeping her away. _The only response Bella could say out loud was, "Thank you."

It was then that Alice walked in the room, and made her way toward Bella. She took the empty seat next to Bella, and Janet scooted her seat to where the group of other women were. So now Alice and Bella were isolated from everyone else, but neither one of them seemed to care.

"I see you were talking to Janet." Alice leaned in and whispered in Bella's ear.

"More like she was talking and I just listened. She had some unusual things to tell me." Bella looked up at Alice, who sat there looking as beautiful and innocent as ever. She seemed bothered that Janet talked to her.

"I'm sure she did. I don't really like her." Alice was frowning, a crease in her forehead started to form as she looked down at the ground.

Bella leaned in closer to Alice, placing her hand on Alice's shoulder as gently as she could and whispered, "I don't believe anything she said. As far as I'm concerned, you're the only nice one here."

Alice lifted her head and stared at Bella, a smile replaced her frown instantly. She wiped away the stray tear that escaped, and tried to play it off as best as she could. "I'm so glad you're my roommate. I really like you, Bella."

"I like you too, Alice. I hope when this is all over, we can be friends in the outside world."

"Oh Bella, we will. I know we will." Alice smiled, and used her hand to cover her mouth. Bella wished she hadn't done that.

She hadn't noticed all the other patients staring at the two of them in shock, but she didn't care what they thought either way. Ms. Wilson came walking in with two other nurses on her side, and began taking attendance. She called off each person's name, and listened for a response. Once that was done, she shouted out, "It's such a beautiful day today; I thought we might all go swimming in the lake. We don't want to waste this lovely sunlight, and soon enough it'll be winter and we won't get the chance again."

The room was filled with a mixture of groans and cheers. "If you don't want to go swimming, you're going to have to go outside anyway. Just sit by the lake, and enjoy it. Like I said before, it'll be the last chance any of you will be outside for a while. Swim costumes have been washed, and are right here in this box." She gestured to the nurse on her left, who dropped the box of garments on the floor. "Ladies, please follow Nurse Dickenson to the wash room once you get your suit."

Most of the women moved toward the box, shuffling through a box of used swim suits which didn't seem too appealing to wear. Bella looked to Alice, then shrugged her shoulders and asked, "Do you want to go swimming with me?"

Alice smiled and nodded her head, "Sure Bella, I'll go get a suit."

"Ms. Swan, if you'll stay here while the girls go on and change. We have this privacy curtain for you to change behind." Bella looked toward the corner of the room and saw this ugly green curtain held up by a few hooks. This must have been a hospital room where they held patients before it was open like it was now.

Bella watched as Alice and the other girls went ahead and changed, while she picked out a suit she thought would fit, and walked toward the curtain. Ms. Wilson was standing there on the other side while she changed. She thought of how easy it would be to trip and fall over while she was changing.

"Will I ever get to change with the group?" Bella asked, feeling humiliated.

"I'm afraid not, dear. Not while you're going through treatment, anyway. We can't have any setbacks. Dr. Irving tells me you're doing really well so far though, so that's good news. He seems to think you'll have a quick recovery."

"Is Dr. Irving in charge of this facility?" Bella stepped out from behind the curtain freshly changed, and Ms. Wilson motioned for them to join the rest of the group.

"No, he is just one doctor of many, with a specific specialty. If you're looking for who runs the facility, our head doctor and psychologist, Dr. Randall does. Hardly anyone sees him, on account that his office is at the top floor. He rarely comes to visit the patients anymore, unless you're a special case, you won't have to worry about him."

Bella nodded her head, she hoped she would never see this man, "And you're head nurse?"

"There are more than a few head nurses. I am one of six, three for the women's side and three for the men. We hardly see anyone from the men's side though, we all have our stations to report to, and we prefer minding our own sections." Ms. Wilson had met up with the group, but continued talking to Bella as all of them made their way to a door Bella hadn't noticed before. It was a door off in one of the dark corners of the facility, and Ms. Wilson had to use four different keys to get the door open. She tried to see what keys she was using, but Peter was there, blocking anyone from taking a peek.

"So who are the head nurses on this side?" Bella looked up at Peter, who smiled kindly.

"Peter Michaelson, is our head attendant, Nurse Dickenson, Nurse Stewart and myself are the head nurses." Ms. Wilson opened the door, and a warm gust of wind blew inside, which excited most of the women standing there. How long had it been since they were outside?

The group walked ahead, and followed Nurse Wilson. Alice approached Bella from behind, in her plain black swim suit, and smiled. Bella noticed Alice's legs were long, and lean. She found herself trailing up the length of her body with her eyes, and met Alice's gaze. She had been watching her, watch her this entire time. Bella blushed and shook her head, motioning for the two of them to catch up to the rest of the group.

The day was bright and beautiful, only a few white and fluffy clouds were in the sky. It was warm outside, but not unbearably so. The girls walked quietly together, it was nice, peaceful. Bella was surprised they were allowed to go outside, maybe the place wasn't all that bad…but she wasn't certain on that just yet.

"Come on girls, hurry up. You all have one hour!" Ms. Wilson shouted. Peter showed up behind the girls, smiling at the both of them but focusing more on Alice. He was fully covered, long sleeve shirt and pants, with a rather large safari type hat, and sunglasses. He must've had a bad reaction to the sun.

"Hello Peter, how are you doing today?" Alice asked, looking up at the tall man behind her.

"I'm well, and how are you?"

"I'm very well, thank you. I was going to go swimming with my new friend Bella."

"I can see that. Go ahead; I'll be right here watching you." Peter encouraged.

Alice nodded and grabbed Bella by the arm, and started walking toward the water. The dock that sat on the lake wasn't very safe, but apparently it was safe enough for the other women to sit and dive off. The water appeared a blackish green color, but she wasn't sure if that was the shadow of the trees against the water or something else.

"Now Bella, there are two different ways to get into the water. One, you can take your time, test the water and see if it's safe. Or two, you can jump in and risk it all, daring yourself to take that leap of faith." Alice walked up on the dock, and stared at the edge of the water, looking down at her reflection.

"What if the water is cold?"

Alice looked at her and smiled, "That's part of the risk, but cold water isn't so bad, is it?"

Bella stared at Alice with a small frown, "No, but what if there are snakes in the water. They could bite me."

Alice laughed at that, "You don't see any of the other girls getting attacked by snakes, do you?"

Bella took a few steps closer to Alice, and looked down at the water with her. She placed her arm on her back, and Alice looked up like she knew exactly what was going to happen. "Bella, don't you dare!" She exclaimed, but Bella had already pushed Alice forward and into the water.

With a loud splash, Alice went flailing into the water, and shot back up, splashing the water and laughing. "Oh Bella, you naughty girl."

"Are there any snakes?" Bella laughed in return, watching as Alice swam closer to the dock. It felt good to laugh. Alice looked up at Bella, shading her eyes with one hand.

"I think the only snake I see is up on the dock. I think she belongs in the water though." Alice's free hand grabbed Bella's ankle, and pulled her. She lost her balance, and Bella found herself falling into the water, straight on top of Alice.

Bella felt the cold water engulf her body, and the arms of Alice bringing her back up to the surface. She was really strong for someone who was so small. Her hair covered her face, and the only thing she heard was Alice laughing. Bella pushed her hair out of her face and stared daggers at Alice, but could feel her lips threatening to crack a smile.

Alice continued to laugh, so Bella splashed a bunch of water in her face, causing the girl to spit out the water that got into her mouth. "Hey!"

She smiled, and began to swim away from the group of girls. They weren't really paying attention to the two of them, and neither were the nurses. Peter was sitting beneath the shade of a tree.

"Where do you think you're going? Get back here." Alice swam after Bella, catching up to her fairly quickly. She grabbed Bella by the shoulder and turned her around, taking hold of her arms, and pulled the girl close to her.

Alice slid her hands down the length of Bella's arms, causing the girl to shiver. Alice stared at Bella with such intensity, almost as if she wanted her. Alice pulled her even closer, possessively, against her chest. "Now you see Bella, there's nothing to be afraid of." The thumb of Alice's left hand circled around Bella's skin, causing Bella to become aroused.

The proximity of Alice, the way she was holding and touching her caused Bella to gasp. Alice stared up at Bella, with her short wet hair matted down on her forehead. She continued to look at Bella through her thick lashes. In that moment, it was like everyone around them disappeared. No one else in the world mattered except the two of them. Bella forgot about everything else, all her worries, and all her fears.

Alice was about to say something else, when something in the distance caught her attention. She looked off into the trees behind the lake, and a look of horror crossed her features. She gasped and pulled away from Bella immediately. Bella, who was confused, looked off into the distance where Alice was looking, but didn't see anything. By the time she turned back around, Alice was making her way toward the bank, shouting for Peter.

_What just happened? _Bella sat in the water and watched as Peter ran up to Alice, and took her away almost immediately. They moved back into the asylum, and Bella was left sitting in the water by herself. She continued to wait in the water for a while, looking up into the forest where Alice was looking, but couldn't find anything of danger. She couldn't help but feel offended, but really didn't know why. One minute it looked like Alice was about to kiss her, and the next she was taking off out of the water as fast as she could.

The other girls were minding their own business, each doing their own thing, but suddenly Bella didn't feel like swimming anymore. She made her way toward the bank, and sat down beneath the tree where Peter was. She felt upset, hurt that Alice left her like that. She wondered if she had done something wrong. Bella sat there with a sour face, when Janet came out of the water, smiling at Bella. "I told you she was a witch. See's things nobody else does. I'd be careful if I were you."

Bella only stared at the woman, and nodded her head. She was confused at exactly what was going on. She'd see Alice later hopefully; she will explain what just happened.

…

Later in the day Bella was sitting in the common area when the daily mail arrived. She wasn't expecting anything, so she was surprised when the nurse called out her name. She raised her hand up, and the nurse tossed the letter in her lap. She looked at the address, and it was from her parents. Bella stared at the letter for a while, unsure of whether or not to open it. She knew it was only going to make things worse, make her feel worse for being here. Why would they even bother sending her something?

She sighed, and felt her hands begin to tremble as she turned the envelope over and opened it. She saw her mother's familiar handwriting. With shaking hands, she began to read.

_Dearest Isabella,_

_ Your father and I were writing to see how you were doing. We are hoping everything is well, and that you're on your way to a fast recovery. We have some great news; we'll be able to visit you soon. Hopefully within the next couple of weeks your father can take the time off work to make a weekend out of it. I hear there is a wonderful festival coming up near to where you are, and it would fit perfectly if we can come see you and the festival at the same time. Oh, and the Johnsons have been in contact with us. They have news of Susan and Jeremy; they're to be married this spring. Isn't that wonderful? I think it's divine that she found a nice boy to make her husband. I'm hoping that you'll do the same, dear. In time, hopefully everything can be back to normal and we can all move on from this nonsense. _

_Your father sends his best wishes; he may even have a boy at work that might be available. You remember Jack, don't you? He's been asking your father about your well-being, said he hasn't seen you around lately. We told him that you were at finishing school; please remember dear, that we have an image to maintain. When you get out, we can't have anyone knowing you were in there. I hope you understand and aren't too upset with the way we left things. We hope to hear from you soon._

_Love,_

_Your mother and father_

Bella could feel her heart drop. She could hardly hold herself up. The letter was shaking so bad in her hand, that one of the other girls nearby stopped what she was doing and asked if she was okay. Bella couldn't hear whatever was going on around her; she stared at the letter in disbelief. Susan was getting married. Whatever hope she had left inside of her died in that moment. It was final.

"Bella, are you alright?" Alice appeared out of the corner of her eye.

She looked up at Alice with a blank face, and dropped the letter on the ground. She felt as if she were going to pass out. How could this have happened? Alice pulled on Bella, but it was too late. She was going limp, and the last thing Bella heard before she crashed against Alice's body was Alice shouting for one of the nurses.

_Two hours later…_

Bella woke up with a throbbing pain in her head. She felt something cold placed against the side of her head, and jerked up from her position on the bed.

"Hold it right there, lay back down. Everything is okay. You passed out in the common room." Nurse Dickenson was sitting on the side of the bed, easing Bella back down. She was in her room; Alice was sitting on her side, on the bed watching with wide eyes.

"What happened?" She mumbled.

"I don't quite know darling. You were just sitting there and suddenly passed out on Ms. Brandon. I want you to just relax for now, understand? Don't try sitting up either. Ms. Brandon, will you make sure Ms. Swan does as she's told?" Nurse Dickenson looked toward Alice, who nodded her head eagerly.

"I will be back later this evening to check and see how you are." Nurse Dickenson sat up from the bed, and walked toward the door. She took one last look at Bella, who was lying on her bed with her eyes closed, holding the bag of ice where she had hit her head. She opened the door, and walked back out, allowing the door to shut behind her.

Alice stared at Bella for a few minutes in silence; she held the letter Bella had in her hand. She wasn't sure if it was okay to ask, but she wanted to. She looked down at the letter, which she read earlier, and then back toward Bella, who was staring at her with a confused look on her face.

"Where did you go?" Bella croaked.

Alice shook her head slowly, "I thought I saw something in the forest. It scared me, I'm sorry I ran away from you like that. I didn't mean it. It's just that Peter knows my fears, he knows how to make them better."

"What did you see?" She noticed Alice had the letter in her hand, and was suddenly reminded of why she passed out. "Oh, God." She groaned.

"I read your letter, I'm sorry. I didn't intend to…I didn't know what was wrong. Someone picked up the letter and I took it away from them." Alice wanted to move closer to Bella, but remained in her spot on her side.

"Don't worry about it. Susan is getting married. She is moving on without me. I thought she loved me. I feel so stupid for ever thinking I could be loved." Bella felt her eyes begin to tear up. She didn't want to cry, she didn't want to accept what was happening, but this was her reality.

"You shouldn't feel stupid for falling in love, Bella. You couldn't help it. Love does that to people."

Bella laughed bitterly through her tears, "That's the biggest lie ever told."

"Love?"

"Yes."

"But that's not true Bella. Love is real. Love is beautiful. The whole reason for existing is to love. There's no point in living if love doesn't exist." Alice felt her heart aching for this girl.

"You're exactly right, Alice. There's no point in living." Bella wiped her tears away, only to feel more pouring down her face.

"I thought you said Susan wasn't in your life anymore."

"She isn't. She left me for this man, Jeremy. We planned our entire life together, and she crushed it. She built me up and ruined me. She's getting married, and I'm still in love with her. Do you know how horrible that feels? To be in love with someone who promised you the world, and have them destroy it all when things became rough?"

Bella sat up, and Alice rushed to her side, trying to get her to lie back down. "Bella, you really need to relax. Lay back down."

"Have you ever loved someone, Alice?" Bella asked, not remembering Alice's memory loss.

Alice stared and shook her head, "I don't know…tell me what happened to you. Maybe talking about it will help you cope."

Alice gently pushed her back down on the bed, and Bella stared up at this girl. She seemed so loving, so caring; surely she had to have someone who loved her. A sweetheart back home, wherever that was.

"Susan was my best friend. We grew up together. I met her when she moved in next door to us, I was only thirteen when we first met, and she was fifteen. When I saw her for the first time, my breath caught. I knew something was different about her. I knew the feelings that I had inside were different."

"Love at first sight?" Alice asked.

"I don't believe in that. It was infatuation; she was very attractive to me. I felt nervous every time I saw her. I didn't have the courage to go up and talk to her, but I ached to get to know her, to be in her presence. I was horribly shy though, so I never went up to her. She is the one that approached me." Bella moved the bag of ice off her head, and got a faraway look in her eyes.

"One day after school, I was walking home, reading _Pride and Prejudice_, and I was so immersed in the book that I was having trouble focusing on the path in front of me. I didn't pay attention to my surroundings, and I didn't realize that someone was behind me. Susan was right behind me, being as quiet as can be. She was reading the book too apparently, and when I turned the page, she shouted at me and said 'I'm not finished with that page yet.' She caused me to yelp in terror, and when I turned around, I just saw her laughing. She was so beautiful when she laughed."

Alice felt a pang of jealousy at the mention of Susan being beautiful, but she pushed it aside.

"She held her hand out and introduced herself. From that moment on, we were inseparable. She was the extrovert, the loud, outgoing type, and I was the quiet, shy one. We sort of fit together, if that makes sense. She was the missing piece to my puzzle. I never felt so happy in my life than I did with the years that I spent with her." Bella sighed, feeling the stabbing pain returning to her chest.

"Are you alright? You don't have to talk about her anymore if you don't want to."

"No, it's alright. I've never had the chance to talk to someone to about her before. I was attracted to her, and for the first few years I knew her I just pushed it aside, not wanting to address the feelings I had inside. I was afraid she wouldn't feel the same for me, but the feelings just continued to build. She started dating boys very early into our friendship, and it always made me jealous. I was the one that wanted to hold her hand, and have the chance to kiss her. I watched from the side lines as she went on one date after another."

"Do you think she was attracted to you while she was dating these men?"

Bella sat and thought about it for a minute. "There were signs that she was attracted to me while she was dating. I caught her staring at me as I grew older, and into my body. She starting to touch me more often, finding excuses to be close. I always imagined it was my mind, wishful thinking. Until one day when I was asked out on a date. That's when Susan started flirting with me, telling me how beautiful I was, telling me what clothes to wear, touching my hair, slipping her hand down my body. She drove me insane."

"Sounds like it was more than just playful touching."

"I was miserable. I didn't want to go out with this boy, but I also didn't want to spend the rest of my life pining over the girl who had no idea what my true feelings were. One day we were supposed to go out together, on a double date. She was going on and on about this boy, Thomas, and how she thought he was so attractive. It was aggravating me, for some odd reason, I just couldn't handle it anymore. She was touching me suggestively, and going on about Thomas, it was the breaking point. I snapped. I told her that I didn't want to hear it anymore, that I couldn't stand seeing her go out with all these jerks, when I was right there in front of her face. I blurted out that I loved her."

"What did she do when you said that?"

"I wanted to run away, I was shocked that it slipped out. I was so angry, I held my feelings in for so long that it all came rushing out, and I felt like I just ruined the greatest relationship of my life. She stared at me with wide eyes, but when I tried to turn around and walk out the door, she ran up to me, pulled me around by the shoulder, and kissed me. She held me in her arms, and kissed me. It was like a dream."

"Wow" Alice cleared her throat, she felt her cheeks redden. She wished that she was in Susan's position.

"She told me she loved me too, and that she was too afraid to say anything to me. That was the happiest moment of my entire life. I can't believe that was only a year ago. It feels like it was yesterday. I can still feel her lips against my own. I can still taste her. It was the happiest I had ever been. We made love that night, forgetting all about our dates. It was my first time with anyone, but not for her." Bella laughed bitterly at that.

Alice took a deep breath, listening patiently, but struggling with what was going on inside her own mind.

"We kept our relationship a secret of course, our parents and society in general wouldn't have approved, and that's why I am here. A few months had gone by, everything seemed wonderful and perfect. We were fooling around in my room one afternoon, no one was home. My mother was at the store and my father was at work. I thought we were all alone, so it was quite the shock to me when my mother walked in on me with my hands up Susan's dress, with her panties hanging loosely around her ankles."

Alice's eyes widened, her cheeks turning redder than before. Bella didn't seem to notice as she went on.

"So my mother yelled, and threw a tantrum. Susan ran out of the house faster than the speed of light. I was stuck, listening to my mother tell me how much of a monster I was. That I was an abomination; I was a sinner, and sick in the head. And then…my father came home. She told him all about what happened, and I had the beating of my lifetime. He took his belt to me, told me he was going to whip the sin out of me. Meanwhile my mother was calling Susan's parents, and telling her all about what she witnessed. They, of course, did not take it as hard as my parents did. That is why Susan is still out there, in the free world. All I could do to get through my father's abuse was to think of Susan, and think of her love. If my parents couldn't love me for who I truly was, then Susan would. She would always be there for me, surely. That's what she told me, and I trusted her with all of my heart."

"Oh, Bella…I am so sorry that happened to you. That is awful. You poor, poor girl." Alice had her hand placed over her mouth in shock as she continued to listen. She felt the tears begin to well up in her eyes.

"A couple of days passed, my parents were watching me like a hawk, but I had to see Susan. I had to make sure she was okay. In the middle of the night when my parents were sleeping, I jumped out of my window and ran over to her house, and tapped on her window. She opened the window, saw the bruises covering my body, and kissed me. She said she was so sorry that this happened to me, that she loved me and couldn't believe her eyes. I believed her, like a fool, I believed every word she ever told me. If I only knew how much of a fraud she was."

Bella looked toward Alice for the first time, and saw that she was on the verge of tears, which in turn made her want to cry. She continued, thinking of the memory that replayed in her mind over and over again. "We planned to run away together. We planned on running away the next week. We were going to make our farewells, and spend time with our families, and then we were going to leave together. Neither of us knew where, but we knew we wanted to be together forever. If running away is what it was going to take, then so be it. So I waited, an entire week. I planned it all out in my head, figured out what kind of work I was going to do to support us, wondered what our entire lives would be like. I was so happy; it helped me get by the days I was stuck living with my parents. I just thought of her, and her love for me, it kept me sane. She was my everything. She was my entire existence, all I had to live for. And then she proved to me that true love doesn't exist."

Alice wiped the tears from her eyes, but they kept flowing. It was heartbreaking to listen to her story, but must've been so much worse to actually go through it.

"I couldn't wait to see her an entire week, so I thought I would surprise her one evening. She was my neighbor after all, just a window away. I wanted to go over there and kiss her, tell her that everything was going to be okay because we had each other, and that's all we ever needed in the world. Well, when I walked up to her window, I got the shock of my life. She was in there, with Jeremy. They were on her bed, he had his hand up her shirt, and his face was glued to hers. I heard her laugh, and say to Jeremy that he was tickling her. It made me sick to my stomach. There was the love of my life, with someone else. Everything in my life that I thought to be true was all a lie. Everything came crashing down in that instant. Life was over for me. Susan was a two faced liar. The color drained out of my face, and I felt my hands trembling. I didn't know what to do, I felt like vomiting, I felt like yelling, I felt like dying. I picked up the largest rock I could find and I hurled it through her window, smashing the glass to pieces. I wanted to do so much more, but I stood there like an idiot and cried. Of course, Jeremy looked at me like I was an insane person, and Susan looked at me with what appeared to be concern, but I know that was a lie now. She couldn't have loved me and done that to me."

Alice was silent. She had no idea what to say to her.

"I stood there crying, until her parents came into her room, and my parents came outside and took me away. She never said anything to me, she just looked at me. All those times she said she loved me, all those times she said I was the only one meant for her, was treated like it was nothing. How can someone tell you that they love you one day, and completely destroy you the next? She took all my hopes and dreams away in that moment. She destroyed my soul, my hope, my trust. She lied to me, led me on, and made me feel like I was loved, when I thought I lived in a world where no one would ever love me for who I was. She had my entire heart, and threw it away like it was nothing. Now, how can anyone ever tell me that love exists in a world where someone can do that to you? You'd only be lying to me. Love doesn't exist, Alice. Love is a lie."

Bella wiped her tears away. She didn't want to feel the pain anymore. She didn't want to live in a world where love could be taken away from her just like that. How could she ever trust another living soul again?

"After that, I wasn't stable enough to live next to Susan anymore. I was confined to my room, taken out of school to be home schooled. I spent the last few weeks at home either crying, or just not responding to anyone. I felt a mixture between pain and numbness. I had no idea what my parents had planned for me. I had everything taken away from me; I really didn't care what became of me. I guess I became too much of an issue to them, and that's why they sent me here." Bella could feel herself about to break down once more. She didn't want to feel anymore. She was tired of crying.

"Bella…I had no idea that happened to you. I am so sorry. She couldn't have loved you. That's not love Bella, that's not what love is."

"Love is dead." Bella said bitterly.

"No, it's not. Bella, Susan wasn't worth one second of your time. You deserve so much better than her. I don't know how anyone can have someone's heart and be capable of throwing it away. I could never do that, to anyone I loved."

"How can someone be so cruel, Alice? How can someone you thought loved you, destroy every part of your soul? How can they take everything you held dear to your heart, and throw it all away like you were nothing at all? Why didn't she just love me? Why am I not good enough to be loved?" Bella broke down at that moment, and Alice pulled the girl into an embrace without a second thought.

What else was there to say? Bella had loved with all her heart and had everything stripped away from her. Life as she knew it in the free world, no longer existed. The woman she loved moved on and left her in the dust, still holding on to the hope that this was all a nightmare. There were no words left to say. Love couldn't possibly exist.

Bella looked at the bracelet on her wrist; the one Susan gave her as a promise to always be there, that she would always love her. She slowly removed it, and placed it on the table beside her bed, as Alice held her and told her that it was okay to cry. Bella sat there, finding comfort in Alice's words. It was over. Who she thought was the love of her life was gone for good. Bella was left to pick up the pieces of her heart, if there was even anything left of it.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you to those who have been reading.  
**


	4. Chapter 4

_Bella was standing in front of the gates of an amusement park, one that she visited when she was a child. She remembered spending time there with her father and the excitement she felt when she rode a roller coaster for the first time. She remembered being terrified, but her father encouraged her, telling her not to worry, that he was right there by her, and he wouldn't let anything bad ever happen to her. Only this time, she was alone. _

_Trash blew across the grounds of the park; there were no patrons, no workers. All of the snack and game stands were deserted. It was abandoned. She could smell the scent of hot dogs, one she wasn't too fond of in the first place, and continued walking deeper into the park. It was as if everyone left moments before she got there. Songs still played from certain rides, mechanical voices echoed in the air as she continued walking. She didn't know where she was going, or why, but something told her to just keep walking._

"_Bella, Bella, come here!" She heard a voice calling her from a distance. _

_She followed the sound of the voice, recognizing it, but not really knowing who it was. She couldn't put a face to the voice. The sound of laughter was growing louder and louder, as she approached a massive roller coaster on the far end of the park. The coaster looked terrifying, like a giant wooden snake that took up most of the park's space. She was afraid to go nearer, but the voice called to her again._

"_Bella, come on! Let's go for a ride, just you and me." This time, the voice was directly behind her._

_She jumped at the noise, and turned around to see Susan standing there, laughing. She was wearing what she wore the first time they met, but was older this time. She was beautiful as ever, but something seemed off. It wasn't the same. Bella, temporarily relieved, placed her hand on her chest to steady her heart._

"_Come on Bella, don't you want to go for a ride?" Susan grabbed Bella's hand, and began tugging her toward the roller coaster._

_Bella looked up at the roller coaster one more time, and pulled back from Susan. "It doesn't look safe. I don't know about this Susan."_

_Susan looked annoyed, and she pulled on Bella harder, forcing the brunette to take a step toward her and bumped against her. "Don't be a coward. It's just a roller coaster. Come on, it'll be fun." Now Susan was pulling Bella toward the roller coaster. She tried her best to get her to let go of her hand, but it was like she was glued to the other girl._

"_I don't want to Susan, stop! Let me go!" Bella shouted. No one was around to hear her. _

_They approached the gate to the roller coaster, and Susan ran up to the cart with Bella tugging right behind her. Once Bella got closer, she noticed that some of the planks were missing from the track, and the railing was severely rusted. The coaster suddenly seemed much larger than before. Bella was terrified._

_Susan got in the cart, and the safety bar fell off. She was pulling Bella as hard as she could, but Bella refused to get on the seat with her. Finally, Bella shouted, "No Susan! I said I didn't want to! Now let go!" _

_She pulled back as hard as she could, and finally Susan's grip let up and Bella went flying backwards from the force. Thankfully she ran into something soft and warm, someone had caught her. When Bella turned around, she saw Alice standing there, simply smiling._

"_Suit yourself!" Susan shouted back, but Bella didn't turn back around to see her going up the roller coaster. She could have flown off the track of the roller coaster and met her demise and Bella couldn't care less, because Alice's gaze captured her completely. She continued to hold Bella, warmth radiated off her body. Suddenly, Bella didn't feel so afraid anymore._

"_Why don't you come with me? I'll keep you safe." Alice smiled, and offered her hand to Bella._

_Bella looked down at her hand, and took it without a second thought. The warmth that she felt from Alice was now going through her own body. She felt it in her hand where they were touching, and felt it going up the length of her body. She was calm, she felt loved. Bella was actually happy. They walked together, away from the roller coaster, which now seemed much smaller than it was to begin with. _

_Alice took her to the other side of the park, where things seemed newer, safer. They were much better on this side. Bella never said a word, but she knew that Alice knew what she was thinking._

"_Would you like to go on a ride with me?" Alice gestured in front of her. _

_A roller coaster that wasn't there previously now stood before them. It was smaller, had new parts ,fresh paint, and looked similar to the coaster to the one her father took her on when she was younger. She felt safe, and agreed. Alice smiled once again and led her to the gate, where she opened the door to the cart, and waited for Bella to step in first._

_She stepped in, and watched as Alice got in right behind her. She shut the door, and pulled the safety bar over them. Bella snuggled closer to Alice, even though she was smaller, Bella felt she was the more dominant one in this situation. She smiled and wrapped her arm around Bella, as the coaster started to move. Up they went into the air, getting ready for the drop. The surrounding of the park began to come into vision the higher they went. _

_Bella looked over toward the side of the park where Susan was, and couldn't see anything but black smoke. Alice leaned into Bella, and she turned away from her thoughts of Susan. She was no longer in the picture._

_She didn't want to admit it, but she felt afraid of the height. Alice took notice and placed her mouth next to Bella's ear, breathing slowly and steadily, she whispered, "It's okay Bella, it's okay to be afraid. I just want you to know that I am right here, and I will never let anything happen to you. I will always be here with you, right by your side. I love you."_

_They reached the peak, and the coaster began to dip, and down they went. Alice was right there next to her, and Bella never felt more loved, or more excited than she had in that moment. This was the greatest ride of her life, and she never wanted to get off._

Bella woke up, staring straight up towards the ceiling. It was still night, but the dream had woken her up. That's when she turned her attention towards Alice, who was fidgeting in her sleep, mumbling something Bella couldn't quite understand.

_Could Alice really be a prospect? Given where I am, I don't see how that would ever work out unless we both want to spend the rest of eternity in this place. _Bella sighed; the stuffed pig that Alice gave her was tucked in between her arm and stomach.

Alice didn't look as if she was having a good dream, and Bella became more concerned when she heard her whimpering. She sat up in her bed, and pushed the hair out of her face. She stared at the door, wondering if anyone was going to come and check on them. It had been a little over a month since Bella was admitted, and the entire time she was there, not once did anyone come and check on them in the middle of the night. They could've been dead, and no one would know until the morning.

Bella picked up the stuffed pig, and stood up. At first she stared awkwardly at Alice, unsure of how to approach her. She could just throw the pig in her direction and hope that Alice would feel it eventually. She was afraid of scaring the girl, and making her scream. She wasn't sure what Alice was like when she was woken up, but she didn't want her to continue having a nightmare.

She realized how silly she was being, and took the few steps over toward Alice, and kneeled down in front of her. She held out the stuffed pig, and tried to tuck it in by Alice's arm. She kept moaning and whining, but once the pig touched her, she stopped. Bella had her arm on the pig, and was about to let go, when she felt Alice grab her arm. It scared Bella, to the point where she almost shouted, but only gasped.

Alice held Bella's arm in her own, and tugged on her quietly. Bella looked at Alice, her eyes were open, and she stared quietly at the brunette.

"Stay"

Bella opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off. "No one will come by. Stay with me, please Bella." Alice's voice was low and husky.

She was about to object, but the look in Alice's eyes, and her own desire to be close to Alice made Bella sit up on the bed. Alice moved towards the wall, making room for Bella to lie down in front of her. She pulled back the blankets, which were nice and warm from Alice's body heat. Bella lay down on Alice's pillow, facing toward her short haired roommate. She stared into her brown eyes, "What did you dream about?" Bella asked.

Alice was hesitant at first, but finally responded. "I had a dream of someone trying to kill me. He wanted my blood, he wanted to drink it."

"I'm sorry, that sounds like an awful dream. At least that's all it is, just a dream." Bella moved her hand to Alice's arm and began stroking her gently. She was nervous of her own intentions, afraid that a nurse might come in and discover them, but she pushed those thoughts in the back of her mind.

"Can you just hold me?" Alice asked, looking down where Bella's arm was.

"Of course" Bella pulled Alice closer, squeezing the stuffed pig in between their bodies. Alice's chest moved against Bella, and the brunette shuddered from being so close. Alice moved her head against Bella's neck, finding a spot that was just right, and snuggled in closer, moving her own hand around Bella's waist.

Bella closed her eyes, and tried to maintain her breathing. She held on to Alice, rubbing her hand up and down the length of her back in order to try and comfort her. Alice moved her head further against Bella's neck, wanting more and more physical contact.

"Go back to sleep Alice, I'm not going anywhere, I promise." Bella whispered.

Alice didn't respond because she was already asleep. Bella stayed right next to her for the rest of the night, stroking her back gently until she felt her own eyes grow heavy, and she drifted off into a dreamless slumber.

…

Alice woke the next morning to find herself drooling against the soft skin of her roommate. She stayed there in that position; taking in how good it felt to be held by Bella. She wished the night wouldn't have ended so soon, and was curious if Bella would sleep with her again. She liked where she was, she liked who was holding her. Alice knew her feelings for Bella would be strong the moment she met her, and she wasn't wrong.

No one had come in the room, and Alice was thankful for that. They had this moment of peace, just the two of them together. She knew it would have to come to an end soon, as much as she didn't want it to, it was a risk if the two of them were discovered in this position. Reluctantly, Alice moved her head, and stared up at Bella who was still sleeping. She looked so beautiful, her face wasn't full of pain, and there wasn't a trace of sadness in her features, just calm. She was expressionless; it was nice to see Bella in a relaxed state, even if it was only in her sleep. Alice felt guilty and didn't want to wake the poor girl, because she knew the sadness would return.

"Bella, wake up. It's time to get up." Alice poked Bella gently against the stomach. She didn't get a response.

She poked her finger against Bella's stomach again, harder this time, and it cause Bella to flinch and groan. Her hand lingered against Bella's stomach, and she contemplated what would happen if she removed the fabric that was the barrier between skin contact. Alice couldn't remember her past, and she couldn't remember if she ever had feelings for someone like this before, but she knew Bella was different. Her visions proved that to her long ago.

"Are you ticklish, Bella?" Alice asked playfully.

Bella mumbled, still half asleep and not paying attention to what was going on. She held on to the stuffed pig that still sat between them. Alice looked down at the pig, and smiled. She was happy she was able to give Bella something that brought some form of comfort to her.

Temptation was hard to resist for Alice, she felt her hand trailing down Bella's waist, hooking a finger against Bella's short night shirt, and slowly pulled it back up to reveal her porcelain skin. Alice stared down at the small sliver of skin exposed, and continued to pull up on her shirt, revealing more. She stopped midway up the length of her torso, and stared at the sight before her. Her hand hesitated for a moment, floating above her stomach, wondering if she should really touch her or not. She wanted to, just to touch her skin, just to feel her for a second, and she would stop.

Alice's fingers gently fell against Bella's warm skin. She felt so soft; it was so enticing to continue. Her fingers trailed up and down around her stomach, causing the brunette to shudder and wake her up from her sleep. Alice hadn't noticed Bella's eyes open, and continued to trace patterns in her skin. She formed goose bumps where Alice touched her, whatever she was doing felt really good. She didn't want to interrupt Alice, so she continued to lay there and watch as Alice stroked her fingers against her flesh in fascination. The feeling of ecstasy slowly spread across Bella's body, she had no idea why it felt so good, and had a hard time remaining still. She wished Alice would go lower. She wished she would explore more of her body. The feeling of bliss made her forget about her broken heart.

Unable to hold it in any longer, Bella let out a small whimper when Alice grazed the top of her panty line. Alice stopped immediately, her cheeks turning bright red. She removed her hand, and looked at Bella apologetically. She didn't know what to say, but it didn't look like Bella was upset.

The two girls just stared at each other, not saying a word. Bella moved her hand towards Alice's chin, and began to pull her head up to hers. She wasn't sure what she was doing, whether it was the way Alice was touching her that made her want more, or the fact that Alice was so caring and loving. She wanted to kiss her.

Alice licked her lips, and moved forward, readily expecting a kiss. She became aroused, and she wanted to explore more. That was when there was a loud commotion outside of their door, which snapped both girls out of their trance.

"Helen, you know better than to knock people over! You get back over here and apologize, right now!" Nurse Dickenson's voice echoed just outside of their door.

Bella's eyes grew wide, and she jumped out of Alice's bed as fast as she could, and ran over toward her own. She leapt into her bed and threw the covers over her body, right before Nurse Dickenson opened their door, and announced that it was time for breakfast.

She looked at both of the girls carefully, Alice was sitting up in her bed, shifting uncomfortably, and Bella was throwing the blankets over her body, getting ready to get up. She didn't see anything suspicious, and Helen ran by their room at that moment, shouting at the girls, "Get your lazy asses up! It's time to eat!" Followed by laughter.

Nurse Dickenson sighed and rolled her eyes at the two roommates, then proceeded to close the door, leaving the girls to themselves.

Alice looked at Bella, who seemed annoyed at what just happened. Her cheeks were flushed, and she was touching the spot where Alice was teasing her just moments before. If only they could be alone. If only they weren't trapped in hell, things could have been very different.

The short haired girl stood up quietly, unsure of what to say to Bella, and proceeded to gather her clothes for the day. She didn't know what she was feeling, she felt aroused, she wanted Bella, but at the same time she didn't know what exactly she wanted from her, and definitely didn't want to risk Bella getting in trouble over her own curiosities. She stared at Bella before she walked out of the door to go shower, "I'm sorry Bella. I didn't mean to cause any trouble for you."

Bella shook her head, and looked up at Alice. She was scared, her heart was pounding in her chest, she was afraid the nurse would find out, find something that was off and throw her in the torture chamber. She wanted more from Alice, she wanted her to continue where they left off, but she definitely didn't want to be punished for it. A mixture of emotions played through her mind, confusion, arousal, scared, nervous, and afraid of getting hurt. Not by the nurse, or the doctor, but by Alice. She didn't want to fall for this girl only to have her heart broken once again. What hope was there for them in a place like this anyway?

Alice looked at Bella one last time before she decided to leave her to her thoughts. She felt selfish for what just happened. She didn't want to cause Bella any kind of pain, she didn't want to get her in trouble, or ruin her progress in treatment, if that's what she wanted. Bella felt good, she felt right. Would she be able to control her temptations to explore her attraction with this girl?

Alice had her visions of the future, but not all of them were correct. Bella was shown to be a critical part in Alice's future, that she fully didn't understand herself. There were others, and they were in a world unlike the one they lived in today. There was unspeakable technology, massive buildings, and unreal vehicles, how could this be a real vision? Would she ever tell Bella of her visions or would that make her seem even crazier than she already appeared?

Maybe if she tried to explain her visions of the future, with the two of them together, that would bring Bella some kind of comfort. Somehow make things more secure, knowing that the two of them would get out of the asylum one day, and be together in the outside world. What would Bella think if she told her all these things? What would Bella think of the person Alice really was?

The thoughts of telling Bella plagued her for the rest of the day, until she decided that it was best to tell Bella why she was here, explain the visions that she has seen, and see if she believed her or not. She was always open with Alice, right from the beginning, so Alice felt she should do the same. Her upset at the lake probably made no sense to Bella, and maybe if she tried to explain things, explained her nightmares, then maybe that would make the girls closer.

There was the fear that Alice wouldn't make any sense to Bella, and it had the possibility of pushing her away.

The rest of the day, Alice thought about what she was going to tell Bella, and how she was going to do it. Bella had her session with the doctor, so it left Alice alone to think about how much she should tell the girl. She was going to wait until later that night, after dinner, when they were alone, and then she would tell her about everything. About her vision, about the vampire that plagued her dreams, and about Peter and what he was. Maybe if she understood Alice better, that would bring them closer, at least she hoped.

She hadn't seen Bella at dinner that night, and spent her time at her usual spot, picking at the meat loaf that sat on her plate. It didn't look very appetizing, but Alice wasn't hungry either. She was nervous. Bella hadn't made an appearance, so Alice decided to go to their room and wait for her to show up. Only when she got to their room, she saw Bella was already there, she decided to skip dinner.

"Hi Bella." Alice said calmly, closing the door behind them.

Bella looked up at Alice with tired eyes. She didn't look very happy, and even looked as if she had been crying. "Hey Alice, how are you doing?"

"I'm okay. How are you? You don't look like you're feeling too well." Alice moved toward Bella's side of the bed, and sat down next to her. She was hesitant to touch her; unsure of what happened this morning had any kind of negative affect on her.

"I'm not. I just had a difficult session. He made me feel really bad about myself. I got to listen to a lecture about how I was doing the devils deeds by being attracted to women. He said that my brain was sick, and that it's immoral for women to love other women. Like I haven't heard that one before." Bella sighed, looking down at Alice.

"Don't listen to them Bella, they don't know what they're talking about. Love is love; there is nothing sick or wrong for loving another human being." Alice said. She wanted to touch Bella, and almost did, but she restrained herself this time.

Bella stared at Alice for a moment, watching her intently, waiting for something. She shrugged her shoulders passively, as if she was defeated. "I just want to get out of here. Once I'm released, I don't ever want to see my parents again. I want to go off on my own, and just be. I don't care about love anymore. People just end up hurting me. I'm not welcome or wanted anywhere, it's not like they'd miss me."

"That isn't true, you are wanted, and welcomed. You would be missed dearly. I know we haven't known each other but for a little over a month, but I would miss you terribly. I feel like I've known you forever, I hope that isn't too forward to say, but that's just the feeling I get with you. You are the blessing I found in here."

Bella shook her head, "It isn't strange. I understand what you mean. But look at where we are Alice. How are either one of us ever going to make it out of here? We are the forgotten. There isn't a place out there for us anymore." She gestured toward the window, where the leaves on the tree outside began to fall. It was going to be Halloween soon, the beginning of the holiday season.

"There may not be a place with our families anymore, but that doesn't mean we can't make our own place. Make our own place where we belong. If the world rejects us, then we'll make our own world, where no one is rejected. We will have a world where anyone can love anyone, and it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks." Alice was worried that she may have been too forward in assuming Bella wanted anything to do with her in the outside world, but she couldn't stop herself.

Bella wiped her tears away; she was used to crying now. It was almost a daily occurrence. "I don't see how a world like that can ever exist."

"It can exist Bella; it will exist…that's what I've wanted to talk to you about. I need to tell you something about myself, but I'm afraid of what you'll think of me." Alice took a deep breath. Once she told Bella about her visions, there was no turning back.

She was curious, and looked toward Alice with expectant eyes. She moved closer to Alice, pushing the blankets out from under her, and getting beneath them. She held the blankets open for Alice to scoot under, and closer to her. "I'm listening, I won't think of you any differently than I do now."

Alice nodded her head; she didn't know how much of that was true. People can say one thing one minute, and do the exact opposite the next. "I knew you were coming here a few days before I actually saw you. I don't know why exactly I am here to begin with, and I'm sure you've heard rumors about what I've done to be put here, and I can't be sure if those rumors are true or not. The doctors won't tell me why I am here, but I know before my treatments, I was the complete opposite of how I am now. I have an idea of why I might've been placed here, and I'm going to try my best to tell you without making you uncomfortable."

Bella nodded her head, encouraging her to continue.

"I see things before they happen. In my head, I'll see things, premonitions of the future." Alice said, and then stopped to see the look on Bella's face.

"A clairvoyant?" Bella asked. There was no sign of horror, no sign of confusion in her face. She was curious.

"Yes…I see things from time to time. I saw you coming, days before you actually arrived. I knew when I looked out the window, and saw that yellow dress you were in, that you were the one I was waiting for. I saw you in my visions, in quite a few of them actually." Alice laughed quietly, unsure if Bella was ready to run away from her or not. She was nervous.

Instead of Bella reacting the way she expected, she actually looked intrigued. She was quiet for a moment, contemplating what she was going to say, until finally she asked, "What were your visions about? How accurate are they?"

"Some of them are really blurry, they're very unclear, but others can be really clear. For example, I can see you in my future, I can see you and me together, but we are the same age as we are now, but the surroundings we are in are nothing like I've seen before. I don't know how accurate they are, because I have no idea how we could be the same age when my visions seem to be too far in the future. The things I've seen are things that don't exist, and I have no idea if they will exist. I just know you're there, and I'm there, and I'm happy. Other visions are clearer, ones that are closer to this time. I knew you were going to be my good friend, I knew what you were going to do and how you were going to react when I first met you. I can see bits and pieces of what the future may look like for us."

"And what does the future look like for us together? Do we get out of here?" Bella asked, hoping for some kind of confirmation of a life with Alice in the outside world.

"Yes, we do. We aren't here anymore."

"Where are we?"

"I'm not sure. There's snow, and mountains. We are part of a family." Alice tried her best to describe the setting, remembering the scenery of her visions.

"How can we be part of a family?" Bella asked. She thought Alice's idea of the future sounded great, it sounded happy, but she wondered how that could ever be.

"I don't know. My visions aren't always correct, or they don't happen exactly how I see them, or people change their minds and do something different than what I pictured. It just depends on what the person decides. This vision I have though, it's wonderful. In the future, you can love whoever you want and not face repercussion. There are so many beautiful things I've seen of the future." Alice reached out and touched Bella on the thigh.

Bella's leg twitched suddenly at the contact, the warmth of her hand caused shivers to go down her spine. "I would love to be part of that future." She wondered how much of what Alice was saying was true. Could she really believe that someone could see the future? How could she be sure what she was saying had any merit to it? It sounded too good to be true.

"And there's something else, something that will be harder to grasp." Alice said quietly.

"What is it?"

"Do you remember when we were at the lake and I became upset and ran away? And my dream that I had last night, do you remember what I said it was about?"

"Yes, you said someone was after you, that they wanted to drink your blood. Like Dracula." Bella said, hoping Alice wasn't going to say that Dracula was chasing her.

"Well, it wasn't just a dream. Someone has been hunting me, someone wants to hurt me. When we were at the lake, I saw the man standing there behind some of the trees. He was watching me, and I know he is still out there, waiting for me." Alice looked at the window, afraid if she stared too long that the man's face would appear at the window.

"What do you mean Alice? Someone is out there trying to kill you? Why?" Bella asked, concerned for her friends safety.

"Peter said he is a hunter. He said that my blood was intoxicating to smell, and that some of them couldn't resist the smell."

"Them? Them who? What does Peter have to do with this?" Bella's mind tried to grasp what Alice was telling her. She wondered if Alice was making it all up. Was this the true reason why she was in here? Did she only imagine that someone was trying to kill her?

"Peter is a vampire. The man who is after me is a vampire too, but he drinks human blood. Peter only drinks animal's blood." Alice knew she sounded absolutely crazy in this moment, but didn't know what better way to explain it.

Bella was silent. She was processing the information the best that she could without doubting Alice. She was giving her the benefit of the doubt. "So, Peter is protecting you from this man? He doesn't want to drink your blood?"

Alice nodded her head, "He doesn't want me to get hurt. He cares about me."

"And what is being done about this guy who is out there? Anything?" Bella asked, looking toward their window and seeing nothing but the fading sun.

"Peter said as long as I am near him, that I'll be safe. I trust him."

"Oh?" Bella asked, wondering if that was just an excuse Peter was using to get close to Alice. She didn't want to doubt Alice, she wanted to believe everything she was saying, but it was all so much to take in. Bella never believed in anything supernatural, but Alice seemed to believe everything was real.

"I know you probably think I'm insane right now. I know it's impossible to imagine something like this being true, but it is." Alice sighed.

Bella regretted even thinking it, but Alice was right. She found it hard to believe that what she was saying was real, but she wasn't going to tell Alice that. "I think Peter needs to do a better job at protecting you, if that guy knows where you are, Peter has to do more than just watch over you. Can't he alert the other staff of the situation?"

"No one would believe him; he would sound just as insane as some of the people in here. He's doing the best that he can Bella."

"Is there anything I can do to ease your mind? If there is someone out there that wants your blood, then surely you must be terrified." Bella asked.

"Right now I feel safe. Peter is watching over me, I am behind a fortress of concrete, I doubt that he could just walk in here and take me away."

"I wouldn't let anyone take you away from me. I really hope you're right about the future." Bella placed her hand on top of Alice's and smiled. She didn't know whether to believe Alice or not, but what she did know for certain, is that Alice was there for her when she needed someone, and she was going to do the same thing for her friend.

Alice smiled, happy that someone actually took her seriously for once. No one she knew believed a word she said, or had brushed her off, but finally she was able to tell someone she cared about what was really going on inside of her mind, and Bella was still there for her, even after revealing the truth. People like Bella were rare, she knew that she might not believe everything she said, or might have a hard time grasping everything she just said, but she was still there. No matter what, she knew Bella would always be there by her side as long as Alice needed her there. That was what love meant to Alice.

"I will do everything I can to make that future come true. We will not be forgotten, we will not die in here. You and I are going to make it out of here Bella, I know we will. We've been put in here to be forgotten, to rot until our deaths, but I refuse to let that happen to us."

"I am afraid to hope anymore." Bella admitted.

"I know that people in your life have done you wrong, I know they've let you down and broken your heart, but if you have any hope left in you, if you have anything left in you that allows you to trust, trust in me and my words. This isn't our ending, this is only the beginning."

In that moment, Alice wanted nothing more than to kiss Bella. She wanted to show her that she could truly love her. She could be the one that would be there with her forever, through it all. Her heart ached for this woman, who she only knew for a short period of time, but felt as if a lifetime had already passed. However, it was too soon. Bella was still hurting, and it wasn't going to make anything better. It wasn't going to magically heal her heart; the hole in her chest still remained.

If there was going to be a future for the women, Alice could wait until Bella was fully healed before she made a move of her own. She would be there by her side the entire time to ensure Bella would learn to love again, learn to hope and trust in the right people. Alice would never let Bella down if she could help it.


	5. Chapter 5

_Why do I keep doing this to myself? Why do I keep thinking of her, when I know how horrible she truly is? I know she isn't good for me and I don't love her anymore, so why do I keep torturing myself? Why does she keep running through my mind when she abandoned me for someone new? I can't keep replaying what she did to me in my head. It's done, it's over. There is no point to let the pain linger, but I just can't stop. Is it wrong that I want her to hurt like she hurt me? She dumped me like I was nothing, like everything was all a cruel lie. That isn't love; it never was love for her. The person I thought I knew was created in my head, she is not the same person I fell in love with. That person never existed. I fell in love with the idea of her, not who she truly was. I have to learn that the person I loved only existed in my mind and that I am better off without her in my life. She took me for a fool, but it's time to get over it. I need to get her off of my mind, and move on. I need to quit torturing myself. She was no good for me, but maybe there is someone out there who is. Maybe there is someone out there that can love me for who I am, forever. _Bella was sitting in the visiting room of the asylum, waiting for her parents to show up. She had been a patient for almost three months now. Nothing seemed to be working as far as her progress with Doctor Irving went, and she feared that she may never see the outside world again. This would be the first time she saw her parents since they admitted her. Bella had mixed feelings about seeing them.

Every moment she wasn't occupied or busy talking to Alice, her mind would wonder back to the pain Susan caused. The insecurity, the rejection she felt was so immense, she didn't know how she could take it. She wondered how she could have ever been so stupid to give her heart to someone. Susan was a wolf in sheep's clothing, she promised the world, the future, and took it all away in an instant. She said she would never hurt her; she let down her walls and truly allowed herself to feel something for another human being. It was a mistake to trust. It was a waste of her life. Anger mixed with sorrow swirled around in Bella's mind, she couldn't stop thinking about the girl who took her heart and crushed it. She wished she could erase every memory of her, every lie that she ever told, every broken promise and hope for the future, she wished she hadn't believed her. Part of her wanted Susan to be in her position, to be the one locked away in the asylum, to be the one who was heartbroken, and part of her just wanted to forget. She wanted to forget everything about her, because the more she thought about her, the more she felt herself dying on the inside.

It didn't help that Doctor Irving was bringing her up in their sessions; it pained her and made her heart literally ache when he asked about their sexual relations. She didn't want to be reminded that the times where she once felt happy and secure, were nothing but lies. Bella began to question the existence of love in the first place; she couldn't possibly see how true love was real. It had to be a lie. There was no point in loving, no point in hoping for a future, no reason to be happy. Life was hell, and then you died. She could feel herself spiraling down when she was alone. The depths of her own darkness scared her.

The only person who showed any signs of caring about who she truly was, was Alice. She was the light, what started out as a dim hope of someone who was just being nice, was now shining brighter. Alice took her negative emotions and washed them away, and going against her beliefs based on her past, maybe, just maybe, love could exist after all. She couldn't have wished for someone who was more understanding or caring than she was. Alice was someone truly special, and that was difficult for Bella to admit. The realization that her past relationship doesn't dictate her future relationships or that the people she meet might be nothing like Susan, was hard to swallow for Bella. It was easy to hide in the darkness, to think that the world was all a waste, and it was hard to still have hope for something better, especially with the way Bella had been treated. Alice proved to her that not everyone would be Susan, not everyone would destroy her heart, but she would have to be careful with who she gave it out to, because her trust in people was gone.

Her parents were finally going to come see her. After three months of not seeing them, Bella had a lot of anger bottled up. She was angry all this time, they never cared to come and see her until now. It must have been so hard for them to come and see their only daughter…who they voluntarily admitted. She was working herself into a frenzy, becoming angrier, just by thinking about the people who hurt and abandoned her. She didn't know what her parents were going to say, but if she wasn't careful, she knew she was going to snap. She had to try and calm herself down before her parents arrived.

She sat in a cold, metal chair. It wasn't comfortable, and one of the legs was shorter than the others so it kept moving every time she did. The table in front of matched the gray steel of the chairs that surrounded her. The room was freezing and uncomfortable, but then again, nothing in the asylum was very soothing. Bella looked at one of the nurses who stood by the door staring out of the window, probably daydreaming of something better than this life. There were a couple of other people in the room with her, all talking to their own visitors, with their own sad story. She had come to know a few people in her time at the asylum, but she mainly conversed with Alice, who never had any visitors. She must have had a very lonely life, to have no visitors, no memory of family or friends. She was an outcast, just as Bella was.

She noticed a young girl visiting with her parents; she looked as if she were only eight or nine. The little girl with dirty blonde shoulder length hair was crying, begging to go home. Her shoulders were shaking and she had her head buried in her hands. She just wanted to go home. Her parents looked as though they wanted to cry; the mother clung to the father's shirt, and buried her own head against his chest. The man took a deep breath and pulled out something from his wife's purse. It was a stuffed animal, a giraffe. It wasn't very big, but Bella thought it was cute.

"You can't come home just yet darling, but look what we've brought you. We know how much you like giraffes. One day I'll take you back to the zoo, I promise." The man said quietly.

"I just want to come home. Please daddy, I don't like it here." The little girl began sobbing once again. Bella never liked the sound of crying children, but who could say that they did?

Bella turned her attention away from the girl, unable to look at the situation any longer. It was making her terribly upset, and wasn't going to help with the anger she already harbored inside. She looked outside, through the window that sat near her table. The leaves had fallen off the trees, November was almost over, and soon enough Christmas would arrive. Bella stared at the ground as the leaves blew around in the wind. She wished she were one of the leaves, able to be free, to be in the outside world.

She thought it was a silly thing to want, to be a leaf, but in this moment she realized that was the one locked inside of this hell, while the leaves were outside. She wanted to be free, to be who she truly was, to love who she truly wanted. It was a shame that she was afraid to love now. She was afraid to allow herself to trust anyone else. The person she thought she was going to spend the rest of her life with, took all her trust and love when she decided to find someone else.

_How could it all end, just like that?_

"Ms. Swan, your parents are here."

Bella looked up, and saw the nurse smiling down at her, with her parents sheepishly hiding behind her. She stared past the nurse, and at her parents, who weren't looking her in the eyes. They were looking through her, past her. Did she not deserve the decency of eye contact from her own parents?"

"Hello Bella, how are you dear?" Her mother asked, moving toward the seat on the other side of the table. She reached over the table and hugged her lightly, and then sat down. She was wearing a pink dress, with a matching hat. Her makeup was perfect, just like everything else had to be with her.

Her father followed her, and sat down. He stared at the table, still not saying hello. She stared at him, bending her neck down, trying to get his attention, for some kind of reaction, some kind of recognition. He wouldn't budge. This wasn't the man who said that he would always love her; this was the man who was embarrassed to be here. He was too ashamed to even look at his own daughter.

"Why did you do this to me? I don't belong here." Bella whispered. She felt tears forming in her eyes. She said she wasn't going to cry anymore, that crying was for the weak, but she couldn't help it. She blinked and the familiar path of her tears revealed itself once more.

Her mother hesitated with a response. She didn't know what to say, what was there to say? "Bella, this is for your own good. We just want you to have a normal, happy life. Have you been eating properly, you don't look too healthy."

Bella shrugged, "I haven't been eating much."

"Well why not?" Her mother asked.

"The food is disgusting. The treatment I've been receiving makes me sick to my stomach; the things he tells me are very upsetting. I have no appetite." Bella replied honestly.

Her mother was quiet once more. She was struggling with trying to find something to say. "You should really eat something honey, it's not good for your figure." She wasn't listening to what the real problem was, which made Bella angrier.

"You don't know what it's like to be in here. You haven't seen me in three months; you have no idea what kind of place this is. In your letters all you seem to care about was coming up here when no one would realize you were gone from work. You lie to people and tell them I'm at finishing school. How could you say you love me and put me in here? Will you actually look at me?" Bella looked at her father, who shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

Bella's mother grabbed her handkerchief from her purse and began to dab at her eyes. "Bella, how can you say such horrible things to us? We're your parents; we know what's best for you. Your thoughts are unnatural. I can't stand to think of my daughter living her life in sin. What do you expect us to do? This is what is best for you. Now if you're just going to act that way toward us, then we'll leave. I thought we were going to have a nice visit today."

She stared at her mother; she always seemed to twist things around to make everything about her and what she felt. Bella couldn't possibly have feelings that mattered when her mother's was far more important. How dare she try to feel when her mother was around.

The anger kept building inside of her. Her life was a disaster, and she was staring at the two people who put her in here. She was staring at the people who were supposed to love her unconditionally, who would always be there for her no matter what. It's hard to realize that her parents were human, that they wouldn't always be there for her. The realization that her parents would only love her if she lived by their standards made her feel more alone in the world than she ever had before. If she didn't even have her family to support her, then who would?

She looked to her father, "Are you not even going to say hello to me? Do I make you that ashamed?"

He didn't respond.

Bella took her hands and covered her eyes. She was tired of being hurt. The people who were supposed to love her abandoned her when she needed them the most. In this moment, she felt as though there was no one left on this planet who would love who she truly was on the inside.

"We spoke to your doctor before we saw you. He says you're doing quite well, and that you should be out of here soon. We probably won't get to see you over Christmas unfortunately, but we'll mail you your gift. We're supposed to be going to Florida with your father's boss. It's going to be quite the holiday. I hear Orlando is marvelous." Her mother continued talking as if Bella wasn't pleading with them, like she was nothing.

Bella had enough. She didn't care anymore.

"Mother, please…shut up." Bella stared at her mother, who gasped at her reaction.

"Don't you dare talk to your mother that way." Charlie finally spoke.

"Oh, so you can speak to me?" Bella turned her attention to her father. When he was mad, he had the look of the devil in his eyes. She didn't care.

Charlie lowered his voice, realizing that people were watching them. "You better watch it girl, just wait until you get home."

Bella's voice shook with anger, "I'd rather die a miserable death in here than to ever go back home with you monsters. All I did was love someone, my life was not yours to live. It is my life, and my choice, and I am going to love whoever I want."

"We understand that you're upset about being here, but you are sick honey. You need to be here for your own good, you don't realize what you're saying." Renee said between her tears.

"I know exactly what I'm saying. Please, just leave me alone. I was better off thinking you actually cared about my well-being than to realize that you just put me in here to get rid of your embarrassment. Have fun on your holiday." Bella sat up from her chair, and left her parents sitting there dumbfounded.

On her way out, she passed the little girl who was sobbing with her new stuffed giraffe. Her parents were no longer there. She stopped by her side, and held out her hand. The little girl stopped crying long enough to notice that Bella was holding her hand out for her. She took it, not exactly sure what was going on, but together they walked out of the visiting room, and waited for the nurse to escort them back to their ward.

"What's your name?" Bella asked quietly. They walked together with the nurse, who didn't say a word. She was trying to calm herself down the best that she could.

"Laura" She sniffled.

"My name is Bella. I like your giraffe." She didn't want to think about what just happened with her parents. The brief visit went nothing like she thought it would.

"My daddy gave it to me. They left me here. He said I was too sick to go home." She looked down at the giraffe; fresh tears were forming in her eyes.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sure your parents love you and are doing the best they can." Bella felt as if she were only lying to ease her pain. She didn't know what else to say to the girl.

Laura shrugged her shoulders and held on tighter to her giraffe. "I just want to go home."

The nurse, who was quiet this entire time, looked down at the girl and said, "You'll get to go home soon Laura. Your mommy and daddy love you very much, and just want the best for you. Now go on and go play with your new giraffe." She tried her best to smile encouragingly.

Laura looked up at Bella who only nodded her head and smiled. The younger girl smiled briefly, her tears momentarily ceased. She walked away from Bella and the nurse quietly. There weren't many children in the ward for her to be friends with; it was odd that she was placed with the adults.

"Poor girl has epileptic fits. She's such a sweetie. My heart goes out to her, it really does. Her family really misses her; I think they might release her soon." The nurse spoke to Bella, who stood there watching the little girl leave.

She turned to the nurse, and sighed. "I wish we could all say the same about our families. There are people out there who genuinely care about their children, but not all of us are so fortunate."

Bella turned and walked away from the nurse, who just stared at her. She hoped that the nurse was right, no child belonged in here. They deserved to be children, to be happy while they still had hope that the world was beautiful.

Bella didn't know what to do with herself anymore. She felt like crying, she felt like screaming at the top of her lungs. She wanted someone to talk to, someone who would understand her. The only person she could think of in this moment was Alice. She didn't know where she was, but she needed to talk to her.

She walked along the hallways which she was now familiar with, but couldn't find her anywhere. It was always hard to locate Alice, almost as if she always had her own hiding spots in the asylum, and didn't come out unless she knew someone was looking for her. Bella had come to care for the girl deeply over the past months; she never imagined she would find someone like Alice in a place like this.

Bella checked their room, and she wasn't there either. She was about to go back and check the cafeteria, but when she turned around, she bumped into Alice who looked cheerful as ever. She saw the look on Bella's face, and her smile immediately dropped. "I imagine it didn't go well?" She inquired. Her hair had grown past her ears, her dark raven hair messily spread about, covering her eyes slightly. She was wearing a cream colored button down short sleeve shirt and jeans.

Bella shook her head, and grabbed Alice's free hand and pulled her into the room, closing the door behind them. Once the door was shut, she wrapped her arms around Alice's tiny frame and buried her head against her shoulders. She began sobbing, unable to keep it in any longer. Bella felt as if she was always either about to cry, or crying.

Alice's arm's moved around her body, she didn't realize she was holding something in one of her hands. She tried her best to hug her with one free arm, and motioned toward her bed. "What happened Bella? You can tell me, it's okay."

The brunette was sobbing too hard to form words. It felt good to have someone to hold on to. She was the only one in the world who was there for her. Alice was her rock. In that moment Bella realized that she was everything to her.

"My parents don't care about me. They just wanted to throw me away while they continued to live their life of normalcy. My mother just talked about herself and her feelings, and ignored anything I said. My father couldn't even look at me." Bella gasped, taking a deep breath. She tried to calm herself, but was having a hard time.

Alice sat the girl down on her bed, setting down the book she held in her hand, and embraced Bella fully. She rubbed her back soothingly, and whispered in her ear, "It's okay Bella. Let it all out."

"Why can't they just love me the way I am?" Bella questioned.

"Not everyone is accepting. It's a tragedy that your parents can't be there for you, I'm so sorry Bella. I wish there was something I could do to make things better."

It was then that Bella realized that she was talking to Alice, who didn't even know who her parents were. She had no memory of them, and they never came to visit, and here Bella was crying on her shoulder. She suddenly felt very selfish. She stopped crying, and moved her head to look up at Alice, who was patiently watching.

"I'm sorry Alice. I shouldn't be complaining about my parents, that isn't fair to you."

"No, it's okay Bella. Don't worry. You have every right to feel the way you do." Alice spoke firmly.

Bella didn't know what else to say, she just wanted to sit there with her friend and just be. She looked at the book Alice placed on the bed, and looked back up to Alice. "My father used to read that to me when I was younger."

Alice looked down at the book titled, _The Wonderful Wizard of Oz_, and smiled. "One of the nurses was actually kind enough to loan it to me to read. It's a rather interesting book. It seems so familiar to me, like I've read it before."

Alice was still very much a mystery to Bella. There were things about her that didn't entirely make sense to Bella, and she still questioned whether what Alice told her about her visions and the vampire were true. She hadn't spoken a word about it since she told her that night.

"Who is your favorite character?" Bella asked curiously.

"It's Dorothy, of course." Alice said without a second thought.

"Why Dorothy?"

Alice looked down at Bella, who had her head resting against Alice's shoulder. She looked up at the shorter girl, and their eyes locked. "I like her because she is sweet, there's an innocence about her that is untouched. She is genuinely kind and still looks at the world with such imagination and hope. Dorothy won't give up on going home, and no matter what dangers she faces, she always comes out okay."

"She's a child. She still has a lot of stuff she needs to learn about the real world." Bella replied.

Alice chuckled, "Oz was real to her. That was her life, it was her world. What may seem like fantasy to us might be completely real to others. It doesn't matter if she was a child."

"What if it was all in her head? For all we know she is a girl in a coma, dreaming this entire world up. It's all fantasy."

"It's still her world. Fantasy doesn't always have to be fiction, we can make our own fantasies and live them if we truly desire. What one person believes to be real, may not be what another person believes, but why does it matter? And besides, the author didn't put Dorothy in a coma. This was the world she truly lived in, and she carved her way through it to get what she wanted. I was going to say that she reminds me of you."

Bella raised her eyebrows and lifted her head slightly, "Why would you say that? I sound miserable."

"Because even though you are here, in a place you aren't familiar with and it can seem scary, you still know who you are. You still are holding on, and you are true to who you are on the inside. You still have hope that you are getting out of here and going home; even if you don't say you have hope for the future. I know that you do, deep down inside, I know you believe you will."

"What if I don't want to go home anymore? I don't have my magic slippers to wish myself out of here. There is nothing that will get me out of here unless I conform to societies rules and change who I am." Bella looked down at her feet, only to see a worn out pair of brown shoes. If only magic were real.

"Bella you can go wherever you want to go. Where's a place you always wanted to go but never went?" Alice sat up, and looked at Bella seriously. Bella took her hand, and pushed some of Alice's hair out of her eyes, and tucked it off to the side.

She thought about her answer for a moment and replied, "I've always wanted to go west. I've always wanted to see the Pacific Ocean, I hear it's beautiful."

"There is no one stopping you once you get out of here. You can go there, you can do whatever you want when you get there. Nothing will stop you."

"There are a lot of things that could stop me. For one, I am in here. If I truly wanted to be who I am on the inside, there will be people out there who will want to stop me. There are people out there who might even want to hurt me. The world is dangerous."

"Don't let them break you, Bella. Don't let the world destroy who you are on the inside. You are beautiful, you have a beautiful soul. The world is dangerous, yes, but once you are out on your own, you can choose the people you surround yourself with. The world will not always be as it is now. Just as things in the past have changed over time, the way society views homosexuality will change." Alice placed her hand on Bella's hand, and wrapped her fingers around Bella's.

Bella looked down at their hands, and then back up at Alice. It felt good to hold her hand. She was trying to get Bella to feel better but all Bella was doing was shooting her down. She was being miserable and felt selfish for doing so. Alice had listened to her complain about Susan and her parents for the last three months. It was about time Bella got over the person who didn't even love her to begin with. Her parents may have put her here, but she was the one who was in control of how soon she got out. Even if it meant playing along, and pretending that the treatments were working, she could do that, and get out and be free. But where would that leave Alice? Could she leave Alice here by herself?

"Do you want to know which character you remind me of?" Bella asked, looking up into Alice's eyes. She moved closer to Alice, their arms rubbed against each other as Bella took her free hand and began to stroke her cheek.

Alice cleared her throat, visibly shuddering from the contact. They've grown very close over the last few months; the girls were comfortable with one another, with touching each other. However, there were moments like this where there was something more, something that lingered between them. Alice wanted to pursue her growing feelings for this girl, but was afraid of what Bella would think or how she would react. Her visions were blurry, she couldn't tell for sure which way it would go, but she knew she couldn't hold out much longer. She wanted to kiss Bella, and if she kept touching her this way, Alice wouldn't be able to control herself.

"Who do I remind you of?" Alice asked in a whisper. She watched as Bella moved her hand down to her arm and felt her nails drag up and down the length of her bare arm. Goosebumps began to form along her arm.

"You remind me of Glinda…not because she was a witch, but because she had a pure heart. She was genuinely kind and good, and that's exactly who you are. I've never met someone quite like you Alice; you are the best friend I've ever had. Although I've known you for such a short time, I just know that I can trust in your words." She pulled Alice closer toward her face, in that moment she wanted nothing more than to kiss the pixie.

"You think I have a pure heart?" Alice asked, not fighting Bella as she pulled her closer. Her breathing quickened.

Bella stopped pulling on Alice, wondering if she had ever been kissed before, and if she would mind if it was from her. She began to second guess herself, and hesitated. "I know you do Alice. You are the most amazing person I've ever met in my life. I don't know what I would do if you weren't here with me."

Alice was silent. She stared into Bella's eyes, and couldn't hold herself back any more. She grabbed Bella's shirt collar, and pulled her into a kiss. Bella leaned forward against Alice's lap, a feeling of pure delight washed over her. She forgot about all her worries, where she was, her parents, and especially Susan.

This was the first kiss Alice could remember ever having, but it was like her lips knew exactly what they were doing. She could feel Bella moving against her lips with her own, and wanted to smile from the feeling she felt in the pit of her stomach. Bella was kissing her back, and it felt amazing.

Bella leaned further against Alice, pushing the older girl back on the bed and climbing on top of her. She didn't think about someone coming in and catching them, all she wanted was more of Alice. Her pain faded away, and for the first time in months, she felt truly happy. Alice wrapped her hands around Bella's back and pulled her closer. Her hair provided a curtain around their faces, and the strands brushed against Alice's face, causing the girl to start laughing through the kiss.

The brunette pulled up from Alice's lips, which were now red and a bit swollen, and she smiled. Alice could see the joy in her eyes; she hadn't seen Bella smiling like she was now before. "That was wonderful." Bella whispered in a raspy voice.

Alice smiled, and pulled Bella down against her lips for another taste. When she let go, she responded, "Yes, it was. I'd like to explore this more…I think I've fallen for you."

Bella was straddling Alice, but moved off her body and decided to lie down next to her. They locked hands once more, and Bella pulled their intertwined hands up to her lips, and kissed them. "I've been so afraid to get close to you, afraid of getting too close to the flame again. I never wanted to feel the kind of pain I did before, but I never realized that you are nothing like her. You are Alice, and you are truly beautiful. I am so blessed to have you feel the same as I do. "

They were quiet, just enjoying the moment together. They didn't need to think about anything else in that moment, they were just happy being together. The threat of someone walking in on them didn't seem to bother either one of them. Bella felt an overwhelming sense of being safe. Like everything was going to be okay after all. No matter where they were, or what she faced in the world, Alice would be right there for her. Somehow they would get through this together; they would make it out together. Bella knew that they only just kissed, but it was as if a switch had been flipped in her mind. She couldn't explain why she felt the way she did, she just knew that it would all be okay if Alice was by her side. All her pain seemed to just melt away in that one kiss. She wanted more, she wanted so much more from Alice. Bella felt like the impossible had just become possible. The past no longer mattered.

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**A/N: Thanks to everyone who is reading. **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Just to warn readers, there is some content in this chapter that some may or may not find disturbing. It's near the end of the chapter, so if you choose not to read past it, it's when Bella leaves Alice and Peter. You will not be missing anything vital to the plot.**

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The trees were bare; all the leaves had fallen and died. They faded away from the winter breeze that came with the passing months. December had arrived, although Mississippi wasn't known for brutal winters, it was still cold. There wasn't any heat in their room and the blankets they had were thin and itchy. Alice was staring out the window of the girls shared room, watching carefully for something, or someone. She hadn't told Bella what she was watching for, but the brunette could guess. The pixie was eerily quiet.

The last few days were good for the girls, they had grown closer. It was as if the fact that they were in the asylum together faded away, even if it was momentarily. The power of their kiss seemed to knock Bella out of her depression, and gave her hope for the future, something she hadn't felt in a very long time. There was something to look forward to now, the two of them getting out together. She didn't know Alice but for a few months, but something was different about her. Something inside of her told her that it was okay to fall in love with her; something deep inside of her just knew that Alice would keep her heart safe. Everything that she had just been through seemed to scream at her that trusting someone again was stupid, especially after the way she had been treated, but none of that seemed to matter anymore. Alice had eclipsed Susan, in one kiss, in one moment her life was completely different.

Rain began hitting the window, slowly at first, and then all at once, making the trees and the surrounding mountains become a blur. A mixture of green and brown blobs were the only things that could be seen now, whatever Alice had been staring at so intently was now masked by the rain. She sighed and pulled away from the window.

"What's wrong?" Bella asked from her position on her bed. She had the blanket wrapped around her and was shivering. The only source of heat there was in the asylum was in the common areas, and Bella didn't feel like mingling today. She had been called to see her doctor unexpectedly, and was nervous about what was going to happen. Maybe one of the nurses reported what happened when she saw her parents, and was now going to be punished for it. She was shivering for more than one reason.

"He's out there Bella. I can feel him watching me." Alice said quietly. This was the first time she had mentioned anything about the vampire since she first told her.

"How do you know he is out there? Can you see him?" Bella tried to look out the window but was only met with rain drops pounding against the glass.

"I just feel him. I can see him in my mind. I know he is out there, and he is getting impatient. He wants me more now than he ever has, and I don't know why. I can't see past him just getting closer to the asylum. I used to see him further away, but now I recognize some of the places he's been." Alice sat down next to Bella, pulling up the blanket only to crawl underneath them and snuggle in next to Bella. She was warm, and it felt nice to have her right there next to her. She was concerned for Alice, the things she said scared her. If they were true, then her life was in danger, and if it wasn't true, then Alice's mind was seeing things.

"Why isn't Peter stopping him? If he is a vampire, then can't he just go out there and take care of him?" Bella asked.

Alice shook her head, "He said he is too strong, and he isn't alone. Sometimes the way Peter talks scares me."

"How is this going to stop then? Are you going to have to be in here forever? Won't he find a way to get to you eventually?" Bella didn't mean to scare Alice more, but she wanted to know what was going to happen. How were they ever supposed to have anything real between the two if she was in here, hiding from someone who was trying to kill her?

"Peter said there is a way to stop him." Alice looked up at Bella; she had a worried look on her face. Her eyes were tinted pink as if she had been crying.

"What did he tell you?"

"I can make this all stop if I let Peter change me." She shifted her position to get a better look at Bella. Alice wasn't exactly sure how she was going to explain this to her.

"What do you mean by change you? Bite you? Suck out your blood until you turn into him?" Bella questioned. It sounded weird coming out of her mouth, she couldn't believe she was seriously talking about this with Alice. It sounded as if they were in some kind of fantasy, or novel and the supernatural had come to life.

Alice nodded her head, "He said he can do it for me, that he would help me change. Then he would help me learn to live like him. He can help me adapt. Peter said it would really hurt the first few days, but once I've changed over, then I wouldn't feel pain anymore. I would live forever."

Bella was quiet; she was still trying to wrap her head around this entire situation. This was real to Alice; she could see the fear in her eyes. Bella had yet to see proof of the existence of this person though, and found it hard to grasp the situation.

"I know you probably don't believe me… I don't blame you, but this is really happening. I can get Peter to show you it's real. I can get him to tell you, and then you'll have proof that it's real." Alice grabbed Bella's hand with her own, and gripped her tightly. She pulled the brunette out of the bed, and reached for the door handle. Bella dropped the blanket that was covering her, and left it on the floor as Alice guided her out of their door.

"I guess we're going to find Peter now?" Bella questioned as they walked through their door.

"I need you to be certain, I want you to trust me completely, and I know what I'm telling you isn't easy to believe." Alice whispered. She dropped Bella's hand, and together they started walking down the hallway.

They passed the common room where they heard laughter and shouting from some of the older ladies. Janet was in there with her friends, luckily they didn't catch Alice and Bella passing by. It looked like they were really into a card game they were playing. There were a few nurses walking the hallways, or sitting down behind the nurse's desk, all minding their own business. It was a quiet day today, not much had been going on.

Alice led Bella down a hall she hadn't ventured down before; this was where the staff always went to hide. One of the lights was broken along the hall, and with the stormy atmosphere showing through the window, it suddenly got darker inside. There wasn't anyone back here, but she could see a door with a light shining through the crack at the bottom. Alice approached the door, and knocked lightly, three times.

There was movement inside as Bella watched the shadow of a figure cross the door, and eventually opened it. Peter stood there with his head sticking out of the room, he saw Alice, and immediately smiled. His eyes were pitch black.

"Peter, I need to talk to you. I've brought someone with me." Alice gestured toward Bella, who just stood there awkwardly.

"I told her the truth." Alice added when she saw the apprehension on Peter's face.

He was quiet, not sure whether to act like he didn't know what Alice was talking about, or like he knew exactly what was going on. A few seconds passed of him just staring at the two girls, before he finally opened the door further and allowed the girls to enter.

Alice was first to enter, already familiar with the room, and Bella followed behind unsure of what to expect. Maybe Peter was going to attack the both of them and suck their blood dry because they knew too much…or maybe they were just going to enter his private room, and talk. His room was small; there wasn't much inside except for a bed, some books, and a dresser. It was small, but was cozy.

Alice sat down on the bed, and motioned for Bella to follow. She sat down next to Alice, and stared at Peter, who grabbed the chair that was in the corner of the room, and sat down in front of them. Bella noticed that he was very swift in his actions. He looked unsure of the situation, not sure how to proceed.

"So, what did you want to know?" He asked the girls, but was looking more at Alice than toward Bella.

"I told Bella what you are…what you really are. I'm not sure if she believes me though, so I wanted to prove to her that you are what you say you are. I want her to trust me and not think that I'm insane." Alice began.

Bella noticed how stiff Peter was sitting, not one part of his body was moving; his muscles were rigid. She didn't even notice him blink, or breath for that matter.

"How do you want me to show her?" He asked.

"The way you showed me seems the easiest." Alice replied. She looked over to his dresser, where a number of objects sat. They were all ordinary items that you find on a desk, a set of pens and pencils, a notepad, but the one that stuck out more than the rest was a pair of scissors.

"Can she be trusted? I worked very hard to get this position and don't want it compromised." Peter looked at Bella; there was no expression on his face.

"I trust her completely." Alice grabbed Bella's hand, and smiled.

Peter watched the situation carefully, and it suddenly clicked in his mind as to why Alice was holding her hand. He knew why Bella was in here, but he had no idea Alice was the same way. The interaction between the two over the past couple of months was curious, but he had no idea it had gone this far. He thought that if he changed her, maybe something might have developed between the two. It was just a hope; he came to take a liking to Alice, and truly wanted to help her, even if she didn't end up with him. She was too sweet of a girl to meet such a violent ending.

"I want you to take the scissors in your hand, and come here." Peter gestured to Bella. He scooted his chair to the dresser and laid his arm down flat. He didn't convey any emotion.

Alice handed Bella the scissors, like what was about to happen was completely natural. She took the scissors in her hand, and began shaking from not knowing what was about to happen. The metal was cold in her hand; she didn't want to keep holding it.

"This is going to sound strange, but I want you to try to stab my hand. Don't worry, nothing will happen." Peter looked at Bella with no sign of fear showing in his expression. He looked as if he had done this many times before.

"I don't want to hurt you." Bella said. Her voice was shaking; she could feel herself starting to sweat. Why did he want her to stab him? This was crazy.

"You won't hurt me, I promise. Just trust in what we say, you won't do any harm. Now take the scissors and try to stab my hand as hard as you can." Peter replied.

"Don't worry Bella, I did the same thing. You'll see." Alice encouraged.

Bella gripped the cold metal handle of the scissors in her hand and aimed it at Peter's hand. She couldn't believe what she was about to do, part of her wondered if she had gone insane. Part of her believed in Alice, no matter how bizarre it sounded. Was she really about to stab this man's hand to prove that he was a vampire? Yes, she was.

She drove the pair of scissors down as hard as she could, and met his hand with a clink. The scissors didn't penetrate his hand, but instead the blade of the scissors bent, and slipped past his hand, landing on the dresser, and scraping the top. Bella dropped the scissors and stared at his arm, which was left unharmed. She grabbed hold of his arm to inspect it closer, and felt how ice cold he was. It felt as if he was dead. When she was younger and her grandmother passed away, Bella took hold of her hand one last time, and remembered just how cold she was. She felt like ice, just as Peter felt right now.

She dropped his arm, and backed away from him. She felt her breathing hitch, and she gasped at the man in front of her. He was unusually pale, freezing cold, and remarkably uninjured. The scissors should have gone right through his hand, or at least caused some kind of penetration, some kind of bleeding, but he was just sitting there, like nothing happened. This meant that Alice was right, that everything she told her up to this point was the truth. Bella felt like fainting. She stumbled backwards and almost tripped.

"Bella, try to calm down. It's okay, everything will be alright. I just wanted to show you I wasn't making anything up. Now you have to believe me." Alice approached Bella and took hold of her shoulders, and pulled her in closer. Alice was warm, she was human. Bella could feel her breathing, and it calmed her down. Peter remained sitting there, just staring at the two girls as they shared their moment.

"You've told her about the other one?" He questioned.

"Yes." Alice pulled Bella back to look at her face, and kissed her on the cheek. She stroked her hair back behind her ears. Bella took a deep breath, but started trembling. There was so much to think about.

"There is something I've been meaning to tell you about that. Why he might be getting closer." Peter said to Alice's surprise.

She turned around and looked down at Peter, immediately worried about what he was going to tell her. She wasn't expecting this. "What haven't you told me?"

Peter stood up and approached the girls, looking carefully at Bella but not touching her. "Your friend here has a powerful scent, maybe even stronger than yours. The both of you together would drive any blood sucker crazy. I have to admit that when I first saw her, I wanted nothing more than to…attack."

Bella stepped away, shocked at what he was trying to tell her. Alice stepped in front of her, trying to protect her even though she knew Peter would never do anything to hurt either of them. She trusted him with her life, but the news surprised her. Could she really trust someone whose immediate desire was to attack Bella?

"What are you saying exactly? He wants us both?" Alice questioned, holding a hand between Bella and Peter.

"Relax Alice, I'm not going to do anything, I'm just telling you. It's rather difficult to be around the both of you. The scent of your blood is so strong, but with the both of you together, you are irresistible. I don't know what he is thinking, but I imagine that if he smells what I can smell, that he is going to do anything to get his hands on the both of you. He will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He is a tracker, and just happened to find the both of you together. You are too good to let go." Peter opened the door for the girls. They had been in there for too long. It would only be a matter of minutes before someone would come looking for one of them.

"What does that mean for us?" Alice asked, seriously concerned for their safety.

"That the both of you are in grave danger. We need to figure out what to do and take precaution before it's too late. Now Bella, if I'm not mistaken, you have an appointment with Dr. Irving in a few minutes. Do you want me to assist you on getting there? It's best that we go now before someone comes looking for you." Peter stepped forward, and shut the door to his room, leaving all three of them out in the dark hallway.

Bella shook her head; she suddenly didn't want to be around him anymore. She was terrified of him and what he told her. She went from being worried about what the doctor was going to do, to now believing the existence of vampires and realizing that she was in danger. She could possibly die, and one of the people that wanted her, was standing right in front of her, inches away from her face. He could strike at any moment, kill the both of them, and be done with it. Why did he want to help them in the first place? Was it just part of some elaborate plan to get the girls to himself?

"I'll be fine going on my own. I'll see you in a while Alice." She didn't want to leave Alice there by herself, but she nodded and assured her that she was okay. She took a few steps back before turning around and walking as fast as she could away from Peter's room. Bella was terrified that he might come up behind her and bite her neck.

...

Bella walked down the hallway and found the stairs which led to Dr. Irving's office. She looked at the nurses when she passed by, and they didn't seem to notice her presence. All the patients and nurses were acting just as everything was normal, just as it always had been, but now Bella was paranoid. What if there were others like Peter in here? They could be waiting to attack her, waiting for the right moment to pounce when no one was around.

She continued walking up the stairs and reached the hallway, she felt as if she was being watched, but when she turned and looked around, she saw no one. She was completely alone, and was only being paranoid. Bella had to calm herself down before she went to see Dr. Irving, he would know something was wrong. That was a whole other mess that she had to deal with, because she had no idea what to expect.

She approached his door and tapped lightly on the hard wood, still trying to calm her nerves. She waited a few seconds, catching her breath and maintaining a calm demeanor when she heard "Come in" muffled through the door.

Bella turned the knob lightly and opened the door to see Dr. Irving standing up behind his desk, shuffling some photos around and putting them in an envelope. He looked up and smiled when Bella walked in the door, "Bella, please come in and have a seat. We have much to discuss."

She stared at him for a moment, apprehensive to do as he asked. What if he was a vampire too? There wasn't anyone around to hear her scream. She slowly moved toward the chair and sat down as calmly as she could. She had to settle down; this wasn't going to work if she was scared everyone was after her.

"Now, let's begin by discussing your visit with your parents. It seems that you had a bit of an outburst, and yelled at your mother, is that correct?" He asked quietly. He took his seat on the other side of the desk and clasped his hands together on top of the desk very calmly. Something about his demeanor was off, he just didn't seem right.

"Yes…I was angry with them because I haven't seen them in such a long time. I let some things slip that I didn't mean to say. I let my anger get the best of me." Bella tried to play off the things she said as anger. She could feel herself becoming nervous again, her hands were sweaty and she was afraid of what the doctor was going to do to her.

Dr. Irving nodded his head, but didn't say anything. He wrote something down on his note pad, and cleared his throat, "Your parents were very upset. They think that your time here isn't what they thought it would be. They thought that I was handling the situation very well, and I thought I was too. I know it's hard to be in here, and I can understand your anger, but can you understand that we are only trying to help you?" He finally looked up at her.

"I didn't mean to say the things I did to them. I was angry; I wish I could tell them how sorry I was. I know they're trying to help me, I know you want to help me too. I slipped; I didn't mean to snap at them." Bella could feel her body trembling, but if she tightened her muscles, it wouldn't show.

"I'm starting to think that our sessions of just talking to each other isn't quite working out how I thought they were. I think we need to take the next step." Dr. Irving placed his hand on the folder and pushed it forward, closer to Bella.

She stared at the folder, wondering just exactly what was in there. There wasn't anything that would kill her under the folder, or harm her; at least she didn't think so. She remembered seeing photos, but not remembering what they were. She was scared of what he was suggesting. Bella watched quietly as he pulled out a plastic box that resembled a briefcase.

It was a creamy yellow color, and when he opened the box she saw a bunch of wires and metal. That's when her eyes widened, she didn't like the way this thing looked. She felt as if she was on a roller coaster and her stomach lurched into her throat. Suddenly, she was sick. Bella didn't want to get hurt, but it looked as though this contraption was going to do just that.

"What is that?" Bella asked quietly.

Dr. Irving took out what was a metal stick attached to a square base and pushed it toward Bella, and then something that looked like a control box and put that in front of him. There was a wire connecting the two objects. "It's something that might help the process quicken. Now if you'll come a little closer to the desk, we can begin."

The sound of the machine turning on scared Bella, it was like a whistling that started out very quiet and grew to an ear piercing hum. She moved closer to his desk, shaking and wiping the sweat off her hands.

"Now, I want you to take hold of the metal bar. I'm going to show you some pictures, and see what your reaction is." Dr. Irving said calmly. He had done this before surely.

What choice did she have? If she tried running she would only be putting herself at risk for more punishment. She took hold of the metal bar gingerly, and wrapped her hand around it. Dr. Irving nodded and opened the folder to reveal what the photos were.

The first one was of a man, just a plain portrait of a man smiling at the camera. His shirt was slightly unbuttoned. The metal bar she was holding continued to hum, but she didn't feel anything happening. The next photo was of a woman, nothing too exciting about her, just a regular portrait as the one before. She was wearing a plain dress, and stared at the camera. Still, Bella felt nothing. She wondered for a moment if she was supposed to feel anything.

The next image proved that she was. Dr. Irving moved the portrait of the woman out of the way to show that the same woman now had part of her dress removed, exposing her shoulder. Bella looked closely to make sure she was seeing right, and felt a minor shock in her hand, which made her jump back and immediately let go of the metal bar. She knew what was going to happen next. Bella stared in horror at Dr. Irving, who acted like it was nothing at all, and asked her politely, "Please, Ms. Swan, place your hand back on the bar. We aren't finished."

Bella rubbed her hand and stared at Dr. Irving like he was the worst person in the world. She didn't want to touch the metal bar anymore, she just wanted to leave. She wanted Alice to hold her, to tell her that everything would be alright. This was all a dream, and people like this didn't really exist. How can there be someone who is willing to torture you over who you love?

Reluctantly, Bella put her hand back on the bar, and waited for the doctor to show her the next picture. He flipped the photo and revealed that the same man in the photo before now had his shirt completely buttoned down, and had his chest exposed. There was no shock.

The next photo was the man again; his shirt was now completely removed. Bella knew where this was going. The photos were going to be either the man or woman, and as the photos went further down, the more their clothing would be removed. When the woman appeared again, Bella felt the shock again, only this time it was a little bit more painful.

"Now Bella, I want you to learn from this. I want you to remember the pain you're feeling now every time you think of looking at a woman sexually." Dr. Irving continued flipping through the photos, picking up his pace.

The pain from the shock grew tremendously as the doctor got lower down the stack of photos. She closed her eyes, and tears began to roll down her face. Bella felt her muscles ache from the strain, and didn't want to continue anymore. She watched as Dr. Irving flipped to the final photo of the stack to reveal the woman, who was completely undressed. The final shock made Bella's teeth clench as she felt the electricity flow through her hand and throughout the rest of her body. Finally, the pain stopped, and it took Bella a second before she could let go of the metal bar that she was holding on to. She began to sob, not caring what Dr. Irving thought of her. She bent over against the chair, and broke down. Her entire body shook, and she couldn't contain herself.

Dr. Irving sat in his chair quietly, as he put the machine back in its box and set it aside. He watched her with what appeared to be satisfaction, a smug smiled crossed his features as Bella wept from the pain and humiliation.

_This has to be a nightmare. Wake up Bella, please wake up. _She was finally able to move her arms, and clung to her chest, trying to breathe. Her whole body was buzzing, her muscles ached, and she couldn't stop crying.

"I didn't want to have to do that to you Ms. Swan, but your recent actions left me no choice. I'm sorry you had to go through that, but maybe now you'll see the error of your ways. If you are wise, you will learn from this and we won't have to do this again, but let me assure you, that if I hear of any other kind of outbursts or see anything that goes against your treatment, there are much worse consequences that you will be facing." Dr. Irving clasped his hands together on his desk, and waited for Bella to respond. She said nothing.

"If you continue this lifestyle, you will have nothing left. No one will ever love you for who you truly are. Susan left you because she knew the error of her ways, and got right with God. She was a good Christian and begged the Lord for forgiveness, just as you should. Your parents put you in here because they truly love you and want you to live a life of normalcy. If you don't change, no one will care about you anymore. Your parents will lock you in here forever, everyone will forget about you. It will be like you never existed, and you'll rot in here with the rest of the sinners and lunatics. You don't want that, now do you Ms. Swan?" Dr. Irving smiled, showing one of his rotting teeth in the corner of his mouth. Bella felt as if she were going to be sick to her stomach.

"Do you? Answer me Ms. Swan." His smile faded when she didn't respond. She sat there in the chair, crumpled up in a ball and stared bitterly at the man in front of her. Never in her life has she felt so humiliated or violated than she did right now. He wanted to break her, he wanted her to be molded into society's perfect citizen, but was Bella going to allow that to actually happen?

"No" She uttered.

This was the most terrifying day of her life. She found out that there was someone out there that wanted nothing more than to kill her, some supernatural blood sucker stalking Alice and now her as well. Dr. Irving had hurt her in more than one way, making her wonder if she would be better off out in the world with the vampire who was out to get her than to be in here, with the monster that sat quietly across the desk.

He smiled once more, and gestured toward the door. "You may go now. Be careful getting up, your legs may be weak. I'll see you for our regularly scheduled meeting. Good day Ms. Swan, and remember what I told you."

Bella wanted to tear that evil smile off his face; she wanted him to hurt the way he made her hurt. Instead, she just stood up and limped toward his door. She had no feeling in her feet; she was in a massive amount of pain and was still struggling to breathe. He didn't get up to help her, or to open the door, he just watched with pleasure as she opened the door and made her way out.

She leaned against the wall for support as she tried to catch her breath. The tears began falling down her cheeks once more as an overwhelming sense of dread came over her. What was she going to do? Her life was in danger, both inside and outside of the asylum. The only person who seemed to be on her side in this entire world was Alice. What were they going to do? How were they ever going to get out of this hell?

Bella pushed herself off the wall, and tried to make her way down the stairs. Her feet were numb and her vision was blurry. She held on to the railing that led down the stairs, no one was around to help her. All she wanted to do was go find Alice and hold her. How was she expected to be okay after what she just went through? How was anything going to be okay ever again?

She made it a few stairs down, but could feel her vision going black, and slipped on one of the steps, causing her body to go tumbling down the stairs, all the way to the very bottom. She landed on the concrete floor with a thud, and was no longer conscious.

Nurses who heard the commotion came around to see what happened, and when they found Bella lying limp on the floor, rushed over to her side, and tried to get her to wake up. Alice was nowhere to be found, she was with Peter, planning on how they were going to escape. Her visions didn't foresee what happened to Bella; she had no idea of the pain her girlfriend just went through.


	7. Chapter 7

The world was quiet, the air was cool, and everything was at peace. She awoke from what she thought was a horrible nightmare. Bella's eyes opened to the light glow of a lamp, the brightness immediately causing the brunette pain in her eyes. She winced from the sight; the dull light seemed to be blinding her. Moving her neck away from the light, she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder which then shot through her neck and into her head, causing an almost unbearable pain. A figure moved out of the corner of her eye, approaching her softly.

"Ms. Swan, you've had quite the nasty fall. Your body has taken quite the beating." A voice echoed through the room. The noise made her head ache more. Every muscle in her body was now screaming in pain, it hurt to move anything.

Bella still had her eyes squeezed tight and managed to ask the person who was there, "Please, can you turn off the light or move it away from me?"

The brightness of the light faded after she heard a soft click and she was finally able to open her eyes. She took a look around the room and had no idea where she was. The room was unlike any she had seen before, the beds were nicer, the blankets were more comfortable, and there were a few other people here who were in their own beds, most of them were sleeping.

"How are you feeling?" The person who was speaking now came into her vision. It was an elderly nurse, one Bella had not seen before. She was small, about the height of Alice, and was as skinny as a pole. Her hands reached out and touched Bella on the arm, and noticed how worn and wrinkled her hands were.

"I feel terrible." Bella's blurry vision became clearer and clearer with each blink of her eye. She looked up at the woman, and suddenly remembered what happened that caused her to end up here. She had fallen down the stairs after her visit with Dr. Irving.

She felt a sharp stabbing pain on her forehead, and immediately reached for where the source of pain was coming from, and felt a bump on her head, just above her left eye, with the ends of stitches popping out from her skin. The elderly nurse reached for her arm, and gently removed her hand. "You need to let that heal properly."

Bella forced herself to look down at her body to see if she had any other injuries, and noticed that her shoulder had a rather large bruise on it. Other than that, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She was lucky her injuries weren't worse. The nurse pushed her head down against the pillow again, carefully watching to see if she would move again.

"I need to ask you a couple of questions now, if you don't mind." She spoke softly to Bella. The rest of the patients were mostly sleeping, it was dark outside. She didn't know how long she had been passed out for.

Bella nodded her head, and let the nurse continue. She wondered where Alice was, and if she knew what had happened to her. She wondered if Alice was safe, or if somehow Peter had convinced her to leave Bella here to rot. She knew that Alice trusted Peter, but she had trouble trusting anyone who wasn't Alice.

"Do you remember what happened to the events leading up to your fall?" She asked quietly.

"Yes, I do."

"Did someone push you?"

"No, I guess I slipped. I wasn't feeling well; I think I may have passed out on my way down the stairs." Bella thought of Dr. Irving and how much she wished she could hurt him right now. She thought about their visit earlier that day and felt nothing but shame and embarrassment. He had no right to treat her that way, he tortured her.

The nurse was writing something down on her clipboard and nodding her head lightly, "And you were with Dr. Irving beforehand?"

"Yes, our visit wasn't a good one unfortunately. It never is." Bella commented, trying the best she could to choke back her tears. She was so tired of crying, she didn't want to be the sad, broken girl that he wanted her to be. She wanted to be better than that, to prove that Dr. Irving was nothing more than an ass, and that his theories about being gay were nothing more than bigotry at its finest.

The nurse looked at Bella with sadness in her eyes, she felt sorry for the young girl. To be so young, to have so much life ahead of her, and to be trapped by what society thought was best for her. It was cruel. "Darling, hush now. I know it's hard to be in here, and I know what goes on with Dr. Irving. I don't agree with his methods, I can only imagine the cruel things he did to you. But its okay, you are safe now. Just rest, you've been through a lot today."

The woman handed Bella a handkerchief to wipe her tears away. Bella was silent but the tears kept pouring out, there was too much pain inside of her for her not to cry. She thought crying was for the weak, but is it really weak to show that you have emotions? That you are a human being and have feelings? Her life was in shambles, she deserved to cry. She didn't know what to believe, or who to trust. What Alice and Peter were telling her sounded like something out of _Grimm's Fairy Tales_. Who was she supposed to believe? Logic told her that vampires couldn't possibly exist, but then what happened with Peter? How could she stab him and have nothing happen? That was impossible. Of all the places to be hiding from a vampire, she had to be here, where the monsters inside seemed much worse than the one that waited for them outside.

"I don't know what my life is anymore." Bella whispered more to herself than to the woman who was sitting by her side.

"What do you mean?" She pushed Bella's hair out of the way of her scar on her forehead.

Bella took a few deep breaths before she continued, "Everything I do is wrong. It seems like everything is against me, life is working against me."

The woman nodded her head, and pulled the sheets over Bella further to make sure that she was comfortable. She didn't know who this nurse was, but she was the only nurse she has seen since being in the asylum that actually seemed to care about the patients. "You know my mother used to tell me that the darkest hour of all, is the hour before dawn. The world isn't out to get you; you just have to find the right people to trust. Not everyone will reject you; there are people out there who will truly love who you are."

Bella stopped crying, it hurt too much to cry. The scar above her eye hurt from having her face crumpled up, and she had to try and relax for her own relief. The nurse did make a point, there were people out there who were different than the rest, Alice was one of them. She realized that if she had never been admitted, the two of them wouldn't have ever met, and Bella didn't want to think about a life without Alice in it. However, the odds were against them ever getting out together, and that weighed heavily on her mind. "I don't see how I'm going to get out of here, and even if I do, there is so much that is working against me."

"Don't let the darkness consume you. You never know when the light is coming, but I assure you, you will not be in the dark forever. You need rest; you'll be released back into the ward tomorrow." The nurse stood up, getting ready to leave Bella's side.

"What's your name?" Bella asked. She didn't want her to leave; the attention she was getting from her was almost motherly. Bella liked it, she missed the feeling. She had no idea who this woman was, or if she knew what Bella was admitted for, but she was genuinely kind to her. It didn't matter why she was here to the nurse; she treated her like a decent human being. The last time she felt like she was being taken care of in a nurturing way was when she was younger and her mother cared for her while she was sick. Her mother wasn't all bad, her views were her views and she was entitled to them, but she didn't know if she could ever forgive her for putting her in a place like this.

"My name is Claire. That's all you need to know, now get some rest." Bella laid there in the dark. She watched as the figure of the elderly woman slowly dissolved into the darkness. The only source of light she saw now was from the window to the outside world. The moon shone bright that night, the source of light Bella needed was outside, where she wanted to be.

Her words put her at ease enough to forget about Dr. Irving temporarily. Her eyes grew heavy, and she realized she was sleepier than she first thought. She didn't remember the nurse giving her any kind of medication. Her last thoughts were of Alice, and hoping that she knew everything was okay with her. She didn't want her to worry. She didn't want Dr. Irving to stop her from loving Alice, he wouldn't stop her. Bella was determined not to let this method stop her from being with the woman she felt herself falling in love with. Alice had her visions of the two of them being together in the future, if what she was saying about the vampires were true, then what she was saying about her visions of the future had to be true too, right?

Bella drifted off to sleep, where she dreamt of Alice and her together, in the outside world. The world was unfamiliar and filled with ghost like faces of people she never met, but the only thing that mattered is that the two women were still together, still happy. One day they would be far away from this hell, they would make it out together. Somehow they would figure out how to defeat the monster that wanted their blood, and they would live in their own world, where love was free, and they could be exactly who they were born to be.

…

The weather had become damp and chilly, colder than Bella had experienced before. It was only the beginning of December, how much colder could it get in Mississippi? Her head ached from the cold, but especially her new wound. It was as if they stitches acted as ice magnets, and the only comfort Bella found was to hold her hand over her scar. She was released that morning when she woke up, not by the nurse she saw the night before, but by one of the nurses from her own ward. She had no idea where the elderly nurse had gone; she wanted to thank her for just being there. She didn't know she would never see her again.

She put on the clothes that she had on the day before and was escorted back to her ward. Down the stairs they went, past the doctor's offices and into the patient's area. Alice must have been worried sick over Bella, because they didn't allow visitors and doubted anyone told her what had happened. Did she even know where Bella was? She hoped someone had the decency to at least tell her what they saw, but doubted such kindness existed for Alice…at least in the asylum where rumors ran rampant.

The nurse escorted her down the stairs to the scene where she had fallen; any remnants of the accident had been cleaned up by now. Everyone was going about their usual day as if nothing had happened. Maybe to them, this kind of thing was normal. Accidents could have happened on a daily basis.

Bella walked down the hall, and noticed a few of the patients were staring at her, they didn't bother looking away when she met their gaze. She felt embarrassed by the rather large gash on her forehead, and immediately began to blush. She didn't like all of the attention, and would prefer to fly under the radar instead of be the center of attention. Bella was their new source of gossip though, everyone must have seen her falling, and wondered why.

Unfortunately, one of the people who were watching her was Janet, and made the mistake of sharing eye contact, which meant that Janet thought it was okay to approach her. She stopped talking to her group of friends and came quickly to Bella's side, matching her pace as they walked toward Bella's room. Bella couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"She did it to you, didn't she? I told you she was bad news." Janet mumbled, trying not to say it loud enough for the nurse to hear her. The nurse just ignored her.

"What are you talking about?" Bella sighed, mentally exhausted already. She didn't want to deal with any more crap from anyone.

Janet leaned in real close to Bella, close enough to where she could feel and smell her stinking breath against her cheek. "The witch. She pushed you down the stairs, didn't she? What did you do to upset her? Did you see her chanting incantations?"

Bella stopped in her tracks and turned to face Janet fully, "She did no such thing. She wasn't even near me when it happened."

"That's because she did it with her mind. Don't you see that she's pure evil? I can only warn you for so long before it's too late. She's going to end up killing you. She's no good." Janet wasn't worried about the nurse hearing her this time. Her voice grew louder with each word she spoke.

"Janet, this is nonsense. There is nothing evil about Alice; she is just a normal human being like you or me. She isn't out to get anyone. So please, stop talking about her this way. I don't appreciate you telling lies and spreading rumors about her, it's rude and uncalled for." Bella kept calm and spoke in a steady tone. She was on the edge of snapping.

"But Barbara said…" Janet tried to speak but was cut off when Bella interrupted her.

"I don't give a damn what Barbara said. I'm her roommate now, and there isn't anything sinister about Alice. Now please, leave me alone." Bella turned and walked away, leaving Janet standing there, dumbfounded that Bella had the nerve to speak to her that way.

"Well, she didn't have to be rude to me." Janet whispered to herself, and stood there just staring as Bella and the nurse continued walking without her. She wrapped her arms around her chest, honestly upset that Bella didn't give her the time of day to listen. Alice was a witch, she would prove it.

The nurse continued to follow Bella until they reached the door of her room. Before she could reach for the handle, the door flew open and Alice was waiting on the other side, her eyes wide at the sight of Bella's forehead. She glanced at the nurse, cautious about how to proceed, and then looked back to Bella. She moved out of the way and allowed Bella to enter, leaving the nurse standing on the outside of the door.

"Now, I want you to get some more rest. Your wounds haven't healed and the more bed rest you get, the quicker your wounds will heal. Your scheduled appointments have been cleared for the remainder of the week. And Ms. Brandon, don't cause a ruckus for her. She's been through enough for now, and needs peace and quiet. Stitches should come out sometime next week depending on how well you heal." The nurse stared at the two girls. Bella sat down on her bed, and Alice only nodded her head, hanging on to the door handle. She looked like she was both relieved and upset at the same time.

Satisfied that everything was okay, the nurse looked at Bella once more before she decided it was okay to leave her alone, and walked away. Alice looked out the door after the nurse, and then quietly shut the door once she was far enough down the hallway. Alice placed her body against the door, and shut her eyes. She was truly relieved.

"What happened to you?" She spoke slowly and asked through closed eyes. When she opened them, her gaze immediately went back to the wound on her forehead.

"I fell down the stairs after my session with Dr. Irving yesterday. They didn't tell you what happened?" Bella asked.

Alice shook her head, "They didn't tell me a damn thing. Not one person." She whispered, holding back her tears. It was a horrible thing to be the outcast.

"Oh Alice, I'm so sorry. I thought they would have at least told you, anyone could have told you. None of the other nurses even bothered?" Bella suddenly felt guilty for passing out. She hated to see Alice in pain, it caused her heart to ache more than anything else.

Alice shook her head, and let out a sigh of relief. She took the few steps that lied between her and Bella, and sat down on the bed next to her, examining her wound more closely. "Why did you fall down the stairs? Tell me what happened during your session." She wasn't asking, she was demanding.

Bella didn't want to tell Alice the details of her time with Dr. Irving. She was scared of what she would think; would she pull back if she told her how she was punished? She didn't want Alice to have any extra fear or worry, but she didn't want to lie to her either. "Dr. Irving introduced a new treatment for me. It was horrible, to say the least." Bella sighed, and leaned against the wall. She looked at Alice, and the concern on her face killed her.

"What did he do to you? Please, tell me." Alice was quick to respond.

"He showed me pictures, one was a man and the other was a woman. They were undressing, and each time he got to the woman…he had this machine and a handle that he forced me to hold, and he…he shocked me. It wasn't much of a shock, more humiliating than anything else." Bella couldn't look at Alice as she told her this, so instead she focused her attention on a tiny crack in the wall. She tried to downplay what happened, and make it not seem so bad, but you can't really justify methods of torture.

Alice's face dropped, and the tears came rolling down her face fast and free. "He hurt you? He did this to you." She looked down at the ground, and then back up at Bella, who this time, caught her gaze. Her eyes were bright brown; they were always brighter when she cried. Her hair fell over her eyes, and she roughly pushed it out of the way from her vision from anger. She knew what it was like to be shocked, to be hurt, but this sounded downright humiliating.

"When he let me go…I don't know, I just felt so weak, so scared of everything that I just passed out. The last thing I remember was trying to hold on to the railing of the stairs, and then I woke up in the hospital wing. I'm sorry Alice, I didn't mean to cause you pain." Bella couldn't help but cry too, not because she was upset over what happened to her, but because Alice was hurting. She never wanted to see her hurt, and it destroyed her inside.

"Why are you apologizing? This isn't your fault." Alice chocked out through her tears.

"Please don't cry Alice. It's over with; the damage has been done already. There's no point in crying." As she said this more tears began to fall down her face.

Alice reached out and touched the side of Bella's forehead where she had been hurt, careful not to hurt her further. "Bella, we need to get you out of here before it gets worse. I can't have you going through this torture. It isn't right. They used to hurt me, and now I can't remember anything. They got what they wanted from me; they wiped everything I knew out of my mind. They wanted me to forget my past, and I did. I wish that I had my memories, so I could at least remember my family. Maybe it was my family that wanted my memory wiped…but the point is I don't remember. Once they finally shocked the memory out of me they forgot about me, and left me wondering in this place without knowing a damn thing about my past and who I was. They may not harm me anymore, but leaving me in here to rot forever is not something I want. We can't let them win. We can't let it progress, we have to get out now. I don't want you to be like me, I don't want them to erase the beautiful person that you are in here." Alice moved her hand on Bella's head, just above her ear. Bella moved her head against Alice's hand, loving the way it felt.

Bella nodded her head slowly, Alice was right. She did need to get out of here, she needed to escape. This environment, and what the staff was doing to her, wasn't healthy. Neither girl belonged here, and they were better off risking their life out there than being stuck in here. "How can we even do that? They have the placed locked down at all times. There is no escaping."

Alice wiped her tears away and moved closer to Bella, wrapping her arms around her and giving her comfort. "There is a way we can get out. An opportunity has presented itself, Peter told me about it yesterday. We can get out of here Bella; we have a chance to be free."

"And what about what is waiting out there for us? How are we going to stop him?" Bella asked, taking comfort in the warmth of Alice. She wanted more.

"Peter can stop him. He'll come with us; he can change the both of us. He said there are others like him out there, ones that live together in harmony. That can be us Bella. We can live in peace, forever. Just you, me and Peter." Alice was now excited, her eyes were bright from the tears but Bella could see the hope she held for the future.

"And do you have visions of the three of us together?" Bella asked. She didn't know if she liked the idea of Peter being with them, but if he was going to help them get out and take care of them, then maybe she should reconsider. He seemed like a genuinely nice person, and Alice trusted him.

Alice shook her head, "I can't see Peter in any of my visions. I don't know why."

"So…how are we planning on getting out of here?" Bella asked, curious as to why she didn't see Peter, but not enough to question it. Maybe he went his own way eventually, no one could be certain.

"There is an annual Christmas party hosted by the man in charge of this whole facility. The entire staff is invited to this event, which is on the very top floor of the building. I don't know any patients who have been up there who have come back to tell what exactly is up there… So while they're up there having a party, there are only one or two people who are down here watching the patients. They don't want to leave anyone left out, so it changes year to year on who is going to be the unlucky person that gets to stay and watch the women while everyone else is at the party."

"And who is going to be watching it this year?" Bella asked, suddenly feeling hopeful that it was who she thought it was.

"Peter. He is going to be the only one here to watch everyone. The party goes on late into the night, and most of the nurses give the patients extra dosages of medication to make us all sleep so there won't be any problems."

Bella smiled, hoping that Peter was going to be the solution to all of their problems, but frowned when Alice mentioned medicine. Peter was a vital part of the puzzle on how to get out of here, but how could he possibly help when the girls were doped up on sleeping meds? "How are we going to get out of that one?"

"Peter will be giving everyone their dosages. No one will be awake, except us and Peter. The only problem is we can't get out of the main door. But there is a door in the back, where the lake is, that we can get out from. We don't have the keys though, and only one person does."

"Nurse Wilson has the keys." Bella stated. She remembered the set of keys she had when they all went swimming. All hope of getting out of here faded as quickly as it grew, because she didn't know how anyone would get the keys off of her.

"That's right, so Peter said he was going to try to get them off of her when the party starts. Ms. Wilson is known as a bit of a drinker, and he said it's easier than it looks to get the set of keys from her. If she is drunk, and being sloppy, it will be easy to take the keys away from her." Alice tried to convince Bella that the plan would work.

"And do you see visions of this plan being successful? You can see the future; you can see the both of us together, so it has to work, right?" Bella asked.

Alice frowned, shifting slightly on the bed. "My visions aren't always true, but I am certain that it will work this time. We have to have faith that it will. Ms. Wilson just needs to get drunk enough to where Peter can go up to the party momentarily, pretend he is there for business, get close enough to her, swipe the keys, and then you and I will be ready, waiting for him. By the time anyone realizes what has happened, we'll be long gone."

"Heavily relying on Ms. Wilson getting drunk sounds kind of risky. What if she decides not to drink?"

"Don't worry, she will. We will get out of here Bella, I promise. We just need to hold on for a couple more weeks. The party is on Christmas Eve, we'll just have to be very careful until then." She took hold of Bella's hand and kissed her gently, pulling her closer.

"I hope you're right Alice, I trust your judgement." Bella wrapped her arms around Alice's small figure. She hoped that everything she said was true, that her visions were real, and that Ms. Wilson was a drunk. They were relying on a lot of what ifs, but what other options did they have?

"I love you." Alice whispered into Bella's ear.

Bella pulled back and looked into Alice's eyes, she was completely genuine. The innocent look in her eyes, the simplicity of the way it was stated, made Bella trust in her fully. She didn't doubt for one second that Alice meant what she said, and if she was being honest with herself, Bella was in love with Alice too.

"I love you too Alice." Bella could feel tears forming in her eyes once again, but they were tears of happiness. She had never remembered a moment in her life where she cried from joy, until this moment.

Alice placed her delicate hand beneath Bella's chin, tilted her head up, leaned in and kissed Bella with such a passion. She needed this woman in her life, and she knew from that moment on, she couldn't live without her. There was no life without her.

If they only knew that Janet stood on the opposite side of their door with her ear pressed against the door, listening to every word they said.


	8. Chapter 8

The days trickled on, slowly but surely they came to pass. The anticipation, the nerves and the worry grew inside both of the girls as the clock ticked on. The only thing they could do was wait, plan and go over the same thing repeatedly, trying to reassure the other that this was going to work. They would be out of here soon, with each passing day they were getting closer. The patients had their own Christmas party approaching; it was to take place the day before the staffs. It was just an excuse to throw all the patients in the same room, put on some music and have the nurses gossip amongst each other.

Bella had her stitches removed a few days after they were put in. She thought it would hurt, she was expecting more pain from it, but was pleasantly surprised when she didn't feel a thing. A few aches in her body still remained, but if she didn't move much, she was okay. She expected to see the elderly nurse in the hospital, she wanted to thank her for her kindness, but she was nowhere in sight. When Bella asked the nurse who took out her stitches where she was, the nurse looked puzzled and said she hadn't seen anyone that fit that description ever working in the hospital wing. She hadn't heard of anyone named Claire before. Bella thought it was weird, but didn't think anything else of it. Maybe they just worked different shifts, and never came across each other.

The winter days turned out to be wet ones, thunderstorms and flooding was a daily occurrence now. The lake that sat outside of the asylum was flooding over, and the dock where Alice pushed Bella off from what seemed like a lifetime ago, was now sitting underwater. Bella wondered how they were going to make it out if it kept raining like this. Where exactly would they go? Would their plans be ruined due to the weather? Maybe it was the work of God that wanted them to stay, to keep them in their place and show them where they really belonged. Bella thought of the idea of God doing all this just for the two of them, and laughed. If there was a God, she didn't think God would be so concerned with them to stop them from loving. This was just bad weather, and she hoped it would settle down by the time Christmas Eve came around.

Although her stitches were no longer present, a scar remained on her face. It was still pink around the edges, and she was nervous that if she exerted herself too much or moved in a weird way, that her skin would tear back open. The nurses assured her that this wouldn't happen, but she didn't trust them. So for the last few nights she slept on her back, staring straight up at the ceiling. She didn't want anything getting in the way of their escape. It was their only hope of getting out of this hell and she didn't want to ruin it.

Alice was becoming more nervous as the days passed by, but she was also becoming excited. Whenever they had a moment alone, Alice would talk about their future and daydream about the possibility of everything she had seen, and tried to make sense out of all of it. The different things she saw in her visions both scared and excited her. There was so much more to life than where they were now, and she was eager to find it. There was only these couple of things that stood in their way, escaping a mental asylum and defeating a blood sucking monster. After that they could live happily ever after, forever. It sounded a little bit too good to be true. Alice was the one who tried to keep Bella positive, while Bella thought about everything that could possibly go wrong. The odds were definitely against them, but they both agreed they would fight and try their best to get out of this situation.

There was so much potential between them, and this place was only holding them back from exploring that. The thought of living forever with Alice was wonderful, but something just told her to hold back from thinking everything was going to be okay. Her life events up to this point have told her that if something seems too good to be true, it usually is. Life had taught her to suspect everything and everyone, if something good was supposed to happen to her, she needed to doubt it so that when the dream didn't come true, she wouldn't be entirely crushed. She had hope at one point in her life, she was positive about her future and knew where she was going, but all it took was a few words and actions by the love of her life to make her realize, you can't count on life to be good for you. You can't trust anyone, and that you should always keep your guard up. She was already risking so much just by feeling for Alice, what would happen to them if it didn't work out?

What if they were caught somehow, surely they wouldn't keep the two girls as roommates. They were already getting away with so much; she felt it was only a matter of time before their secret was out. They had to act, and it had to work. Bella didn't want to think about what kind of horrible things would happen to the both of them if it didn't end up working out. They had to make it out; Bella would rather be dead than to stay another night in this hell. She didn't want to worry Alice about her concerns, so she kept quiet. Alice knew something was going on though, but she tried her best just to reassure Bella that everything would be okay.

The nightmares that Bella had of Alice getting shocked to the point of no return scared her to tears. The dream she had was of Alice, who had no memory whatsoever. She didn't want to know what that kind of life was like, to have the most beautiful person she ever met have no memory of her. She couldn't think of a life where Alice was a stranger, the two had grown so close to one another over the past few months, she was starting to see that she didn't think she could live life without Alice there to some capacity. She was the only hope Bella clung to, and she had to have a lot of faith to believe that this plan of hers was going to work. There was a lot to risk, but if the end was how she said it was going to be, then the risk was worth it.

Her mind was going through so many ups and downs, that she found herself becoming exhausted from worrying. She couldn't even relax in her sleep, because her dreams would all be of Alice and what would become of her if this didn't work out. If there was a God out there, and if God was listening, Bella prayed that Alice would make it out okay. Even if that meant Bella had to stay behind, she would bargain with God, as long as Alice was safe and free from this place, she could accept that. It wasn't what she truly wanted, but when was the last time she ever got what she wanted?

"Bella, come on, we have to make an appearance at the party." Alice shook Bella from her thoughts. They were sitting in their room, Alice was trying to read and Bella was staring blankly at the wall in front of her.

Bella snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head, wondering just how much time had passed from just sitting there. It was December 23rd, the day before their escape. They only had to go through one more day of this torture, and it would all be over. She didn't have to see Dr. Irving anymore, she didn't have to see any of the nurse's faces anymore; she didn't have to look at Janet and her wicked grins anymore. She would be free, from everyone. No parents to try and dictate how her life was supposed to be, no doctors to try and force her to conform. She would be exactly as she wanted to be, her own person. The excitement she felt from knowing this place was only temporary and would come to an end soon replaced the feeling of dread and worry, for now that was.

"Are you feeling okay?" Alice asked when Bella didn't respond. The brunette stared at Alice for a moment, memorizing her features, trying to burn every last detail into her mind.

"I'm just thinking a lot." Bella responded, before tearing her eyes away.

Alice nodded her head, "I understand what you mean. So have I. Come on, let's go before it gets too late. I hear they have half decent food tonight. Do you like lasagna?"

"You mean that brick they serve and try to pass it off as lasagna? No, I can't say that I do." Bella tried to make light of the situation. Both girls were nervous, but they had to act like nothing was bothering them. Any hiccup or mistake could lead to the downfall of their plan, so they had to be very careful.

"Hmm, I didn't think it was that bad. Think of it as our last meal…at least in here that is." Alice whispered against Bella's ear, causing the brunette to shudder at the contact.

The girls walked out of their shared room together, and approached the common area, where most of the patients already were, either sitting on the sofas and staring at the walls, or conversing with others. There was the sound of a record playing Christmas jingles in the background, which skipped occasionally, and a nurse had to stand by and make sure it played all the way through. For drinks, the patients were served either water, or some kind of red punch. Bella wondered if they put sedatives in the punch, she couldn't be too sure what the nurses did, and made sure to stay away from the punch. It may have sounded severely paranoid, but they had to take precaution. Bella nudged Alice and motioned toward the punch, leaning in to her ear and whispering, "Don't drink it."

Alice nodded her head, and moved toward one of the free spaces on the sofa, and made enough room where Bella could sit beside her. They would just sit there and talk to each other for a while, no one would think anything of it, and then they could go back to their room. It sounded simple, but there were people who wanted to make it as hard as possible for them.

Janet and her group of friends were off in the corner sitting at a table, drinking the punch and helping themselves to the bricks of lasagna that the nurses served for them. Each one of the friends were stuffing their faces full, but Janet was the most disgusting. Bella could hear Janet gossiping as loud as she could, while chewing on the rubbery pasta, making the entire room hear her food swirling around in her mouth. The noise of the slimy lasagna and the annoying laughter of her voice combined, made Bella really irritated. She could tell some of the other patients were annoyed by her, but didn't want to say anything, simply for the fact that Janet was a bully.

How could someone be so unaware of just how annoying they were? Bella looked to Janet, and then back to Alice, who just shook her head. It wasn't worth getting into with her. She was always going to be a rude bully, her personality wasn't going to change, and saying something to her about it would only cause trouble for the girls.

Janet caught sight of Bella, and started laughing even harder, showing the chewed up food in her mouth to Bella, who immediately turned around in disgust. Alice took hold of her arm, and tried to comfort Bella as quietly as she could. Bella took a deep breath and tried to focus on tomorrow. The patients would be on lockdown for most of the day except for meals, so maybe this was the last time she had to see Janet, and thinking about that brought Bella relief.

"Hey, do you know who in here is a lesbian?" Janet's voice echoed loud enough so that everyone could hear her. The nurses turned their attention to Janet, trying to shush her. Even they were getting annoyed of her. Ms. Wilson, one of the head nurses, approached Janet and tried to touch her on the shoulder and said, "Janet, you'll need to settle down before you upset our patients. We're all just having a good time here; there is no need for you to lash out like this."

Janet looked at her hand on her shoulder and shrugged it off violently, "I don't care what the patients think. I'll have you know that one of the patients is a lesbian. She tried coming on to me! She touched me, honest she did! Tried to get me in bed!" Janet shouted, which made Bella furious. She didn't move though, instead silently waiting to see if she said anything else. At this point, she was digging her own grave.

"Alright Janet, I think you've had enough fun for tonight. Nurse Dickens, please help me escort Janet back to her room." Ms. Wilson was quick to pull Janet up by her arm; Bella was surprised at how strong she was. Nurse Dickenson approached Janet, who tried to resist, and pulled away from Ms. Wilson, knocking her out of the way.

The situation escalated quickly when the rest of the nurses came running toward Janet, pinning her down to the floor. She kept fighting the nurses until Peter approached Janet with a strait jacket. Janet saw it from the corner of her eye and began screaming, "No, not again! I'll behave, I promise. I'm sorry; I swear I won't do it again." But her words meant nothing.

Ms. Wilson got up from the floor and dusted her sweater off, and looked down at Janet. "You'll learn to listen. Take her away, and come see me in my office once you do." Ms. Wilson spoke to Peter, who was able to lift Janet up as if she weighed nothing. He nodded and ignored Janet's screaming, and kept her at a distance so she wouldn't try to bite.

Ms. Wilson looked at Bella briefly, who just sat there and stared. She then turned away with a curious look on her face, and walked away, leaving the nurses to calm down some of the patients who were now screaming and crying about what they just witnessed.

Some of the patients there were young girls, who didn't deserve to be exposed to any of this. She wondered if any of them would make it out of here, and even contemplated taking them with them, but she knew they were already at risk. She had to leave them behind, the ones that didn't deserve to be here, the little girls that were now crying because they were frightened at Janet's outburst. The world wasn't fair, and they had to learn it the hard way. This was no way to spend Christmas.

"Don't worry about them Bella, they'll be okay." Alice whispered, being careful not to get too close to her in public. The nurses were now hovering over the girls, who were still crying. It made Bella's heart ache; she never wanted anyone to cry, for any reason.

"I'm sorry you all had to see that. Hopefully we can get on with the party with no more interruptions." Nurse Dickenson looked around the room at the patients. Half of them were terrified, and the other half didn't seem to care what was going on. They were in their own private world, far away from what was happening right in front of them.

The rest of the time at the part was spent sitting on the sofa, watching people eat and socialize. One of the nurses came around with a camera, and took shots of all the patients. Alice and Bella were in more than one, the nurse got a few side views of the girls, but there was one where she took in front of the girls. They were unsmiling, but sitting close together, next to the other patients who didn't really seem to care what was going on. Bella stared at Alice as the nurse continued to take photos, they had been here long enough and the tantrum that Janet threw made Bella feel uneasy.

_How did she know she was gay if she didn't tell anyone except Alice? _The thought caused Bella to become antsy and tried her best not to panic. She couldn't be here anymore, she had to leave.

"I'm going back to our room now. I'm not feeling very well." Bella poked at Alice with her hand, and stood up without fully looking at the other girl. She had to get out of here, she wished that it was tomorrow already, and they were far away from this place.

Alice watched as Bella departed to their room, she stuck around a little bit longer, not really talking to anyone but just making her presence known, and then left when she realized no one was paying attention. Janet's friends had all dispersed and were doing their own thing. It was normal for Janet to have outbursts like that, but she didn't think Bella realized that. Janet was known to be a compulsive liar, and she cried wolf way too many times for anyone to believe her.

Alice looked out of the windows on her way to their room, dreaming and wishing that they would make it out okay. _Just one more day, and we're free._ _All of this will be behind us, finally. _Alice couldn't help but think of all her visions finally coming true. Bella would be hers, forever. How wonderful was that? How did she get to be so lucky?

Alice walked into their room to find Bella huddled in the corner of her bed, with her knees up against her face, crying. Alice's heart sank at the sight, she knew Bella was nervous, but she knew they would get through this together.

"Bella, tell me what's bothering you." Alice sat down next to the brunette, and stroked her hair, placing the strands that covered her face, behind her ear.

She looked up with bloodshot eyes, "I'm afraid this is all going to fall apart. There' so much to rely on, it doesn't seem like it's going to work."

"Bella, honey, relax okay? I know there is a lot we are counting on here, and believe me, I am nervous too. But the important thing to remember is that you and I are together. I've seen our future; I know we're going to be alright." Alice pulled Bella closer, taking hold of her hand.

"I'm scared." Bella mumbled.

"I am too, but we're better off out there than here. We need to try to get out of here, if we just sit here and wait, we're going to rot. They aren't going to let us go." Alice whispered.

"What about Janet, she knows something is going on. How do you think she knows about me? I never told her, or anyone else besides you." Bella whispered, wondering if there was anyone listening.

"I don't know how she knows. Maybe she overheard us, but Janet is a liar. She tells fibs, all the time. No one is going to believe her if she does know anything. Tomorrow, we're going to pretend to take our medication like good patients, not cause any suspicion, stay in here all day, and pretend to sleep. Once the staff has moved upstairs, we will make our move only then. They probably have Janet sedated right now as we speak."

"Can you not see Janet in your visions? She can ruin it for us." Bella asked, seeking concrete evidence that they were going to be okay.

"She isn't going to get in the way." Alice stated, though she wasn't one hundred percent sure that was true. She couldn't see her clearly; she wasn't able to focus on her and therefore, couldn't be truly honest with Bella about what would happen. She wasn't technically lying, but she also wasn't telling the truth either. She didn't want to scare Bella further; she was afraid she might become paralyzed with fear and not want to move when the time came to do so.

Bella nodded her head, not wanting to question Alice any more. "You won't leave me, will you?"

Alice lifted up Bella's head, looked her straight in the eyes, and said, "I will never leave you behind. I promise you."

Bella believed her. She was the only person she truly felt she could trust in the world. Alice seemed to be the more dominant one of the two, but that suited Bella just fine. She liked the feeling of protection. Alice was her rock, she was her everything. She couldn't imagine how she would live without her in her life.

"I love you so much Alice. I wish I could preserve this moment forever. The way I feel about you, the hope I have for my future, I don't want it to ever go away." Bella whispered, wiping her tears away.

"It won't go away, I'm not going anywhere without you. I love you too, so very much." Alice said, and pulled Bella in for a kiss. She kissed her hard, and rough. Bella hadn't quite felt this much force from her before, but she liked it. Her lips felt so warm and soft, it was easy to become hypnotized by her. Bella felt Alice's tongue tracing Bella's lips and opened her mouth. Alice moved harder against Bella, pushing the brunette down against the bed slightly, but realizing that she had to control her hunger for the younger girl.

When the kiss was broken, Alice breathed heavily against Bella's shoulder. She wanted her bad, more than she ever felt before. Her whole body trembled and ached with desire, and it took all that she had to pull away from Bella. Alice had to control herself, it could wait. They would have plenty of time to explore each other in the future; after all, they would have forever.

"I want you. I can't stand looking at how beautiful you are, knowing you're mine, and only getting a taste, when I can have you all." Alice whispered between her breaths. She turned away from Bella and shut her eyes, trying to calm herself before things became more heated. She was aroused, and she could definitely feel the moisture between her legs growing, but she knew she had to stop. It was too risky, but God did she want her.

Bella waited anxiously for something to happen. She waited for Alice to make the next move, but when it didn't happen, she had to admit, she was slightly disappointed. She knew they had to be careful, that they couldn't be close, but she wanted nothing more than to have Alice take her. She wanted to feel her desire physically, and she knew Alice wanted her. Bella laid on the bed with her elbows propping her up, waiting with freshly swollen lips.

Alice forced herself away from Bella, pushing herself off the bed. "We need to get some rest; tomorrow will be a long day." She walked away from Bella, and back to her own bed. She took the stuffed pig that sat on her bed, and handed it to Bella. It was the only thing of hers that she could hold at the moment. Like the pig would be some kind of replacement for her…it was the only idea she had at the moment.

She laid down on her bed, and faced Bella. There was no point in changing or going to shower, she didn't want to leave the room anymore. She didn't want to leave Bella's sight. She took in the younger girl's beauty, and was happy that she had her. It was a gift to have such an amazing person in her life; she didn't know if she really deserved someone like Bella.

Bella held on to the pig, and looked back at Alice. The two girls watched each other, never taking their eyes away, and not saying a word to each other, until they inevitably became tired, and drifted off into their dream world.

…

The next day turned out to be another usual day. The girls woke up, and went for breakfast, sat by themselves and ate quietly. The patients were the same as always, nothing was out of the ordinary. For some reason, Bella was expecting something to be different, or off. The staff was the same as they were the day before, the only difference Bella noticed is that they seemed a little more cheerful than usual. Tomorrow was Christmas; of course they were going to be happy. They got to go home at the end of the night and spend time with their families.

After breakfast the girls went back into their room and played the waiting game. They tried to keep themselves busy as the time passed by. Alice was reading her book, occasionally stealing glances at Bella, who was trying to stay busy by playing a game of solitaire with a deck of cards she got from the common area. She couldn't concentrate though, and kept staring at the cards, thinking of all the things that might go wrong. She was nervous, her stomach was doing flips, and she had no appetite. She was ready for the day to be over already. Alice continued to read the same sentence over and over again in her book; the time was ticking by slowly but surely. Both girls sat like this until they heard a loud knock on their door.

Alice tossed her book down on the bed as she stood up and walked to the door, opening it, and found Peter standing there with a tray of food for the girls and a small cup with some pills in it. Alice nodded and told Peter hello, he just nodded his head and handed her the tray of food. There was a nurse standing behind him, checking off all the people who received their medication. He handed Alice the paper cup and quickly took out the pills, without the nurse standing behind him noticing. Alice took the cup and put it up to her mouth, pretending to tip the medicine in, and then took the glass of water from Peter, and swallowed. Now it was Bella's turn. She stood up from the bed, and walked over. She was afraid she was going to mess it up, but when Peter handed her the empty cup, she took it and did the same as Alice. The nurse hardly paid attention to what was happening in front of her; she had no reason to doubt what was going on, and instead just checked their names off.

Peter shut the door and locked it from the outside, trapping the girls in their room until he came to unlock it later. It was done, now all they had to do was wait. Alice told Bella to bring only the essentials, which for Bella wasn't much except for a change of clothes. Everything of Susan's could stay behind, she didn't care what happened to the things she once held dear to her heart. Susan no longer mattered to her, the only thing that Bella remembered her for now, was how much she hurt her. Looking back, she never saw how Susan loved her. Bella was just a fool, but the past was behind her now. It was time to move forward to better things, to better people…people she could truly trust and believe.

And so the girls waited the remainder of the day, they hardly spoke a word to each other because they were afraid someone was listening. They could hear voices outside in the hallway, the nurses were chatting excitedly about the evening. Bella stared out of their window, realizing this was the last time they would be in here. All of this would be just a memory one day; their entire future was ahead of them. They had so much to look forward to together. The issue with Janet didn't seem to have mattered much to the staff, and she hoped that Janet was still sedated long enough to where they would be able to escape without her getting in the way.

"How are you doing?" Alice approached Bella from behind, and touched her on the shoulder. The girls watched as the gray clouds faded, and the sky became dark. Bella had never seen the sky so dark before, it was curious.

"I'm nervous. What about you?" Bella turned around and faced Alice.

"I'm the same, but it's almost time to go. I don't hear them anymore, they're upstairs. It's only a matter of time before Peter comes and gets us. We're almost free, Bella." Alice smiled, trying to convince Bella everything was okay, but she knew she was just as nervous, if not more, than she was.

Bella took Alice's hands in her own, and kissed them lightly. "Are you leaving everything behind?" Bella questioned, looking at her small collection of books. She didn't have much, but she knew it meant a lot to her.

Alice nodded her head, "There will be time to make a new collection, and new memories. We'll have all the time in the world."

"Do you mind if I just sit next to you for a while. If they're all upstairs, and everyone is asleep, then no one will come to check on us. I just want to be near you, to have that last moment of peace before we're out there, fighting the unknown." Bella felt silly for asking such a small request.

Alice's eyes widened, and she smiled. Bella seemed so innocent at times; it made her heart melt, "Of course Bella."

Alice sat down on her bed and pulled Bella close to her side, wrapping her arm around her. Bella leaned her head against Alice's shoulder and the two of them just sat there together, listening to each other's breathing. It was quiet, and peaceful. In that moment, the only thing in the world that mattered to them was holding on to each other, and never letting go. It was the calm before the storm.

The two girls sat like that for the next couple of hours, not speaking, but just sitting comfortably in silence. Bella could see herself with this girl for the rest of her life; she was everything she thought she ever needed. If she could only have this moment last forever, that would suit Bella just fine. Alice was small in stature, but she felt protected by the girl. She knew Alice would never hurt her, as long as they had each other, everything would be okay.

The time came when there was a sound at their door. Someone was unlocking their door, and both girls stood up to see who was there. There was always the chance that it might not have been Peter. They weren't in the clear yet. When the door opened slowly, and Peter poked his head through the door, revealing the set of keys that he took from Ms. Wilson, Bella felt like jumping for joy. He had done it. He had the keys to their freedom, the answer to their prayers.

Alice covered her mouth, hiding her smile and her intake of breath when she realized he had actually done it. Their life, their future was in this man's hands, and he hadn't let them down. He smiled, but knew they had to be quick before Ms. Wilson had a chance to realize her keys were missing. He motioned his head for the girls to come out, and they did. They didn't speak, they just followed him. Alice was first, and Bella followed right behind her. Peter locked the door to the room, so if they did discover her keys were missing, she wouldn't know who took them right away. Bella thought that would be the last time they saw their room, filled with all of their belongings. Bella held a small bag with a change of clothes for her and Alice. That's all they were taking.

Peter walked ahead of Alice and Bella, leading them to the door where Ms. Wilson had taken them to the lake only a couple of months before. He took the keys and quickly began to unlock the locks, moving faster than Bella had ever seen before. She couldn't catch up with how fast his hands were moving. Finally with the last lock unlocked, Peter turned to look at the girls, and opened the door. Freedom stared the girls in the face, all they had to do was walk out of this door, and their future would begin. Peter let Alice go first, who took her first step out into the dreary midnight weather, and turned around to wait for Peter and Bella to follow. She was smiling ear to ear, it really was going to work.

"Stop! They're escaping; grab them before they get away!" A voice screeched throughout the hallway. Bella's heart dropped as she turned around to see Ms. Wilson running toward the girls. A couple of the nurses were behind her, and they were fast approaching. The next few moments seemed to be in slow motion. As Bella turned back around to run away with Peter and Alice, she saw Peter take hold of Alice's hand, toss her on his back, and start running as fast as he could away from the asylum. Away from Bella.

Bella tried her best to run, she ran after Alice and Peter as fast as she could, not wanting to be left behind. She ran after Peter, hoping he would grab her, but he was already so far away, he was too fast for her to be able to keep pace, but she wouldn't give up. He left her. She still tried her hardest to run after them, her legs were pounding against the ground as fast as she could, chasing after her love. She ran past the flooded lake, feeling the ground soften from the mud, making it harder to run.

"Alice, don't leave me here!" Bella screamed, wasting precious breath she could have been using to run faster.

"Bella! Bella! Wait!" Alice yelled as she beat her hands on Peter's back to get him to stop, but it was too late.

Bella felt a sudden sharp stabbing pain in her chest, whether it was from her injuries sustained from her fall a couple weeks back, or from something else, she didn't know. All she knew was that she was in a massive amount of pain, and the second she stopped, Charles, one of the other orderlies, smashed into Bella, knocking her on to the muddy ground. She hit the ground with a splash, and tried her best to get out of his grip. She tilted her head up, and attempted to crawl away, but she was only digging herself further into the soft earth.

"No! No, please…come back!" Bella cried out, sobbing as she watched the love of her life disappear into the forest, knowing this was probably the last time she would ever see her. She began screaming, as loud as she could. The pain was too much too handle, and her screams and shouts eventually became incoherent.

"Go after them!" Ms. Wilson shouted at the other nurses, motioning to where they last saw Peter and Alice. She looked down at Bella, and felt a small amount of pain in her heart for the girl, but pushed it aside.

Peter wasn't going to come back. Charles sat on top of her, crushing her chest even more, making it harder for her to breathe. Her face was in the mud now as the rest of the nurses approached her, and restrained her. Bella stared at the spot where she last saw Peter and Alice, sobbing and screaming for them to come back to her.

The nurses who went after Peter and Alice disappeared into the forest, but came back moments later, not able to find where they went. Bella was shouting to the point where she couldn't breathe, she was inhaling mud and snot from screaming so much. She started to choke and cough, and her voice gave out, but she still tried to scream for Alice to come back. Bella was wheezing Alice's name when Charles finally got off of her. It was too late. Her freedom was taken away from her, her love was taken away, just like that, she was gone.

She was abandoned by everyone she ever knew.

Charles lifted Bella up, and carried her back into the asylum…back to hell.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**"And what if-what are you if the people who are supposed to love you can leave you like you're nothing?" **  
** ― Elizabeth Scott_, The Unwritten Rule _**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I contemplated leaving the story as it was for a brief moment, but realized that would be too cruel for the characters. So for everyone who is still reading my ramblings, thank you for your time. I greatly appreciate every one of you.**

* * *

"I've always considered myself an outcast, someone who never really belonged. I knew it from an early age; I was unlike the others. I was the odd one out, the kid that no one ever played with, the one that kept to herself, and lived inside of her head, the only place I felt I truly belonged. I thought I found you, the one missing piece to my puzzle; the part of me that was missing. I felt complete with you, and now you are gone. The way you left was quick, one second you were there and the next you weren't. You might have said that I was in shock with the way you left, just like that. One second my life is going in one direction, the direction I thought was the right one, the one that would make me happy, and then it was ripped from me, torn off like an old bandage, and you left me alone to try and heal my wounds on my own. So…here I am, left in pieces, again." Bella stared at the wall on the opposite side from her, expecting some sort of response from the inanimate object.

She had been left in this room, which had no furniture in it, no form of comfort, not even a toilet, for the past several days…or had it been weeks? Months? She had no idea how long she had been in here, but she knew she wasn't ever going to have the chance to escape. Not after what happened. The room smelled horrible, and she didn't know if it was from the room itself or from her. She had barely moved from the time she was placed in here. She felt like she truly was insane.

"Why didn't you come back for me?" Bella said flatly. There was no more emotion in her voice, she had gone numb. The first few days, or so it seemed, that they put her in here were filled with screaming and crying fits, but she was done. She was tired and no longer had the energy to cry.

How long were they going to keep her here? Would this be for the rest of her existence? Would she never get to see daylight again? Would she never see Alice again? Where is Alice? Did Peter change her like he said he would? Is she now one of them? If so, she could come get Bella, she could save the day…however, Alice never showed up. Why wouldn't she come for her if what she felt for Bella was real? Maybe she was still changing, Bella didn't know much of anything about the process, she could only guess as to what happened, and why Peter only took Alice with him.

_He probably was in love with Alice and I was in the way…_Bella guessed. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

It was about time Bella made her own way though. She shouldn't expect people to save her, which in reality, would never happen. She realized in the time that she sat there, that no one was completely there for her, nor would they ever be. She was right to not trust in anyone, trusting people was a mistake, and she should have learned the first time. The only person she had to rely on was herself.

Maybe Alice would come back, but it was highly unlikely that Bella would ever see her again. The hope that she held on to when Alice was telling her about the times they would have together in the outside world, no matter how small it was, was now gone. She had to be real with herself, this wasn't a nightmare, no one was going to come rescue her, this was her life, and she had to live it. She didn't make it out, but Alice did. Why wouldn't she have come back by now though? Was everything she said a lie? Was Alice even real?

Bella started to question her own sanity, being alone with her thoughts for too long didn't help. No one ever communicated with Alice, maybe she was just a figment of her imagination. Maybe it was all in her head…but that couldn't be true. _She had to be real, right? Peter knew her, he agreed to help her escape, he was a vampire with super human strength…how does that make any sense? Was Peter made up in her mind too? How could he be? People interacted with him; they knew him and talked with him_._ It had to be real, and therefore Alice had to be real too, right? But if she was real, then why didn't she come back? Why didn't she come back? Why? Why? Why?_

"Because I'm nothing." Bella answered her own question in a whisper.

She stopped talking at that moment, stopped thinking, and just stared at the wall in front of her. She was put in her place, and she finally knew where she belonged. This was her fate, if there was even such a thing. She used to believe in things like that, in fate and destiny, but she didn't know anymore. Why would her fate be such a cruel one? What did she do to deserve this kind of treatment?

Her eyes closed, and she just stopped. She wanted everything to stop. She didn't want to exist anymore, she didn't want to breathe, didn't want to feel. She just wanted everything to stop, but she knew it wouldn't. She was trapped here in this room, which forced her to go on, and forced her to continue living in this hell. Maybe this really was hell, and this is where she really belonged.

…

The ground was muddy from the days of rain that passed, the air was cool, but not to the point where you she was uncomfortable. Alice opened her eyes, unaware of where exactly she was…or who she was for that matter. She lay on the ground, her face halfway buried in the mud. It was drizzling lightly, but Alice hardly felt the drops as they hit her against the face. She sat up, and out of the mud, quicker than she thought she would, and looked at her surroundings. She was in a heavily wooded area, where the trees were tall and thick. There was a small opening where she was, and she wondered why she was huddled beneath a tree, with leaves and twigs placed over her body like a blanket. Was she hiding from someone, and if so, why?

She remembered her head hurting, to the point where it was almost unbearable, and the pain she felt throughout her body which seemed to last for days. That was all gone now, in fact, she felt great. She felt light, and brand new, if that made sense. She looked down at her hands, and noticed just how pale she was, but there wasn't a wrinkle or crease anywhere to be seen. Her clothes were torn to pieces and covered in mud, and her throat began to burn. There were so many different smells in the air, and they were extremely intense to the point where it almost hurt to breath in.

Alice stood up and began walking toward one of the trees, dusting the mud and dirt off as she went along. She sensed something moving in the distance, she could hear the crunching of leaves, and finally smelled something delicious. The thirst she felt seemed to take over, and before she fully realized what she was doing, she was already running toward the noise. She was going at an incredibly fast pace, and reached her destination in a matter of seconds. She didn't stop to see what it was; she just gave in and bit down. It was a cougar, or some type of wild cat. She bit directly into its neck, and with a quick twitch of her wrist, broke its neck before it could put up a proper fight. The taste was only mildly satisfying. Her throat cooled temporarily, but the same burning sensation came back. She needed more…but why was she doing this? Wasn't this wrong?

She drank from its neck with such ferocity, she was an animal herself and she couldn't control her urgency to drink more and more, until eventually the flow of blood stopped. She drank the poor animal dry, but she only wanted more, she craved so much more. The smells of different creatures in different directions invaded her nostrils, and she couldn't decide which way to go, or what to go after. Then, a scent hit her like a ton of bricks. She was enchanted by this scent, it smelled so sweet, and so delicious, and found her feet guiding her to its direction.

Alice didn't know what was going on, she just went with it. She didn't know what this smell was, but she knew it was strong, and she had to have it. The way she was acting wasn't right, was she always like this? Had she always craved blood? She couldn't remember anything past waking up. The only thing that she could remember was the name Alice.

Alice was fast, and the wind against her skin felt wonderful. It wasn't cold or hot, it just was. She felt light on her feet, and found herself practically bouncing off the ground to get to her destination. She arrived in a matter of seconds, and stopped right before she ran into the lake. It was a building, out in the middle of nowhere. There were people inside, and that's when she realized that was she desired was human.

Alice was horrified at the thought of taking another human beings life and sucking them dry, but her body was telling her that's exactly what she needed. The scent was coming from inside the building, someone in there had sweet tasting blood, and she wanted it all to herself. She was sane enough to stop before the water on the bank of the lake, and think about what she wanted to do. She couldn't kill someone, she would have to live with that choice the rest of her life, and that was something she knew she would regret later. A human life was a gift; she had no right to take it away.

Alice felt what she first thought was drool seeping through her gums, she was so hungry. She wanted to kill, to eat; the temptation was proving to be far too strong. She took a step forward, and caught a glimpse of herself in the reflection of the water. The rain drops cleared enough for her to see her face, and what she looked like.

Between the dried up mud covering most of her face, she noticed beautiful porcelain skin, perfect white teeth, not a wrinkle in sight, and blood red eyes. Her hair stuck up in several places and her clothes were torn to shreds. What happened to her? Was she attacked? The left over drips of blood from the cougar she killed only moments ago remained on her chin. The sight of herself scared Alice enough to back away, her eyes weren't normal, she knew that. She looked like a beautiful monster.

She crawled away from her reflection, and further away from the building. She caught a glimpse of a couple of people in the windows of the building; she could see them clearly even from the distance she was at. They were wearing white outfits; it was some kind of hospital. She didn't want to hurt anyone, but the hunger she felt in her stomach, and the burning thirst she felt in her throat were driving her crazy. She didn't know what to do, or how she was going to control herself. Maybe she needed to eat more animals? Maybe that would fix her burning desire.

She covered her mouth in order to stop smelling the scent and held in her breath, and realized that she didn't need to breathe…which terrified her even more. What was she? Had she truly become a monster? Was she a zombie?

Alice turned away from the hospital, but looked back one last time. Something seemed familiar about it, there was something about the place that drew her in, but she knew she would not be able to control herself if she went further. That's when her eyesight went black, and she fell to the ground, unable to see what was right in front of her, instead images of a place she never saw before flashed in her mind.

Images of this man invaded her thoughts, he was sitting alone, at a diner, and he was just like her. His eyes were red, his skin was paler than normal, and she could sense that he was having difficulty being around these other people. She saw her introducing herself to him, and saw the two of them together finding more people like them. There were others just like them out there, families of people that could help. Alice saw herself with this man, and saw them meeting a small group of people, but only their eyes weren't red, they were gold. She felt herself becoming happy, she felt a sense of belonging, and knew that this is where she needed to go. These people knew what she was, and they would be able to help her.

Her vision stopped, and the ground in front of her became clear once more. She knew where she needed to go, and the hospital wasn't the right place for her. Alice turned her back from the hospital, and started running further and further away from the place where she felt she had nothing. Little did she know it was Bella's blood that was calling to her.

…

Bella stared at the wall of her secluded room for what seemed like an eternity. She no longer spoke, or showed emotion, she simply gave up and just existed. There was no point to cry, or to show emotion, she was the only one there. What good would it do to cry anyway? They were useless tears, meant for nothing.

The door to the room opened, and Bella turned her head slowly to look and see who it was. Perhaps it was Alice, but then again, she knew not to hope for that anymore. Ms. Wilson stood quietly by the door, watching Bella closely.

Her arms were restrained, her hair was covering her face, which hadn't been washed in what seemed like an eternity, and her muscles ached from being in the same position for so long. Just how long had she been in here? It couldn't have been too long, could it?

"How are you feeling?" Ms. Wilson questioned. She looked sad to see Bella in such a state. If Bella didn't know better, she might think that she actually cared about her.

The mud was still caked on her face, and the dried up lumps swayed in her hair as she turned her full attention to Ms. Wilson and simply shrugged her shoulders. She didn't want to be bothered with speaking; there was no need to express herself.

Ms. Wilson walked quietly toward Bella, and examined her more closely. The poor girl had been in lock up for five days now, and the orderlies reported that when it came time for her to eat, she wouldn't. She was beginning to smell, and sitting in the same spot for all this time had to be difficult for Bella to handle. She was going to get her up, and get her in the shower to see if that made her feel any better.

"Come on Bella, let's get you cleaned up." Ms. Wilson pulled Bella up and the nurses that were behind her took off her restraints so she was finally able to move her arms. They dropped to Bella's sides, they were incredibly heavy and she felt as if she couldn't possibly lift her arms up. Her legs wobbled beneath her and the nurses had to hold her steady and allow her to walk a couple of steps toward the door. It felt good to stretch her legs, but at the same time the tingling in her arms irritated her.

Bella walked outside of the room she had been locked inside for the past five days, and out into the open. This part of the facility was unfamiliar to her, and when they passed by a window, she realized she was higher up than she had been before. She was getting closer to the man who supposedly was in charge of this entire facility, and that wasn't a good thing. She hoped that she wouldn't have to meet him, but with what just happened and knowing her luck, she probably would.

"Bella, we're going to take you to get cleaned up. I'm sure you must want to get that mud out of your hair?" Ms. Wilson spoke to Bella, but was met with silence.

They guided her along the path to the showers, and entered the wash room thinking they would have to undress Bella themselves since she was unresponsive. Before they could get their hands on her however, she was already stripping. Her clothes that she wore the night Alice left her were crumbling from the dirt that had dried up on them. She left a trail of dirt behind her as she walked into the showers and turned the water on. The nurses weren't leaving; Bella figured they still thought she was a threat. It was uncomfortable having them watch her shower, but what else was she going to do? It's not like she could ask them to leave. Her privacy would most likely be violated as long as she remained here.

The warmth of the water felt good against her skin. She could feel the tightness of the caked on mud loosen against her skin, and eventually fall off. She closed her eyes as the water dripped down her hair, on her face, and eventually off her body completely. This was the only form of comfort she had in days, and never wanted it to end. She just wanted this one moment of peace to last forever.

Bella opened her eyes and watched as the dirt from the days before ran down the drain. The memories of the night would remain with her forever, etched in her mind, no matter how clean she became on the outside. This pain would never end. This is the way it was.

Bella continued to clean herself the best as she could with the supplies that were given to her. The nurses were careful with her, watching her close for any kind of sudden movement or outburst. She wasn't going to fight them today though, she was far too weak.

Finally the water shut off, and it was time to get dressed. Ms. Wilson handed her a towel and a basic gray sweat shirt to wear. It was then when Ms. Wilson was giving her the clothes that she realized she missed Christmas. What kind of messed up life was this? Was it the New Year already?

"What day is it?" Bella asked, suddenly feeling hoarse.

"December 29th." Ms. Wilson replied. She turned her gaze away from Bella when she started to get dressed.

Bella nodded her head, and continued to warm the rest of her body. She was freezing, and starving, but she didn't want to give in to what she wanted or needed. Why did she deserve such basic accommodations? She didn't want to live this life anymore.

"Come on Ms. Swan, let's take you to your room." Ms. Wilson took hold of Bella's arm to which she pulled back immediately.

She didn't want anyone to touch her. They had no right.

Ms. Wilson stepped back and raised her hands in the air in a mock surrender stance, "Okay, I don't have to guide you. We're not going back to that room, you'll be happy to know that we're taking you back to your old room. All your stuff is still there, just the way you left it. We didn't change anything. We figured you would be more comfortable in a familiar setting for now."

"I don't have to see the Doctor, do I?" Bella asked. The last person she wanted to see was Dr. Irving. She didn't know how she would react upon seeing him now. She didn't think she could take it.

"No, you do not have to see him right away. Right now getting you back to being healthy is our main concern."

The rest of the nurses all looked at Bella and waited for her to respond. She was confused as to why they were treating her so nicely. Was there something to gain? She didn't want to ask and have it end, so she kept quiet. Perhaps they were trying to cover up what happened, and were being extra nice so Bella wouldn't tell anyone.

They walked with Bella all the way to her old room. She noticed that on the way there, the locks were all changed on the door that they escaped from the nights before. There were a few new faces too, more men were on the floor, watching and guarding.

Ms. Wilson opened the door to her old room, and allowed for her to enter. Bella took a step in and was flooding with memories of Alice. Just smell of her lingered in the air, and it made her want to cry, but she held it in. She promised herself that she wouldn't cry over anyone ever again. She was not going to let someone else determine how she felt. If Alice wasn't going to come back, then she wasn't going to come back. She had to stop expecting people to be there for her.

She also noticed that all of Alice's things were still there; they hadn't touched any of it. What was going on? Were they expecting her to return?

Bella turned around and looked at Ms. Wilson, who just smiled as politely as she could. "Bella, I need to discuss some circumstances with you, but I want to wait until you are fully healthy to do so. I want you to get some rest and eat. I'll have one of our new orderlies bring you something to eat in here so you don't have to be around anyone else. How does that sound?"

Something was going on that Bella wasn't fully aware of, but she couldn't quite figure out exactly what it was. All of Alice's stuff was still here; Bella would have thought they would have gotten rid of it as soon as they could.

"What is going on?" Bella asked.

Ms. Wilson shook her head, "Rest, I will tell you tomorrow."

Bella watched as the nurses and Ms. Wilson exited the room. She noticed that there were no more keys around her neck, and she wondered where they were now. She heard the locks to the door bolt from the outside, someone else must have been placed in charge.

Something odd was going on, she just tried to escape and they were treating her especially nice. There was no reason for that, she figured she would be tortured and ridiculed for trying to escape; instead they were being gentle with her. What exactly was going on?

Bella faced the room that she and Alice spent the last few months in together. She half expected to see Alice sitting there, reading a book. The empty room served only as a reminder of what she once had, and how that could have been taken away from her so easily. Everything in life, it seemed, was temporary. Love could be stopped and taken away in the snap of a finger, someone who told you they loved you one day, could disappear the next.

To love someone was to put herself at risk, and Bella knew this. She thought Alice was the exception though, she really did believe in everything she said. She knew Peter was the one that took her away, and maybe he was the reason she hadn't come back, but she knew there wasn't much hope for her coming back. There was no point in hoping anymore, for anything. It was done. Nothing could change that.

Bella moved toward her bed, the past few days were humiliating for her. This place treated her like a dog, tortured her, tied her up and kept her locked in a room for days. How was any of this supposed to help her? Was there any chance that she would be able to walk away from this place now that she tried to escape with another woman?

She sat on the bed, and immediately sighed at how comfortable it was compared to the room she was in. She was clean, she had a bed to sleep in, the only thing she needed now was to eat. She felt so incredibly weak; it ached just to open her eyes.

Bella leaned back against the bed, and felt something lumpy under her body. She reached around with her heavy arms and pulled the stuffed pig that Alice left on her bed. It still smelled like her. Bella stared at the pig with wide eyes, feeling the familiar tingling of her eyes beginning to tear up. The tightness in her throat returned as she pulled the pig against her, and kept it close to her chest. Maybe she was silly to cling to a stuffed animal like a child, but she didn't care. This was one of the only memories she may ever have of Alice, and when they finally do come to take Alice's things away, she wouldn't let them have the pig. This was hers now.

She shut her eyes and let the tears stream down her face. She didn't bother wiping them away; her arms were too weak to move much further. Bella felt overwhelmed with tiredness, she hadn't really slept in the last few days and the comfort of the bed and the familiarity of the pig made her relax. Her eyes grew heavy, and it didn't take much effort to close them.

Bella lazily pulled the blankets over her body in a halfhearted way, and turned just enough to face the wall. The next several minutes were silent, and Bella was just about to fall asleep when she heard the locks to the door turning. Someone was coming in, but she was suddenly far too tired to bother turning around.

Someone entered the room, and shut the door quietly behind them. Bella could hear footsteps; they were too heavy to be a woman's shoe. She heard them set something down on the table beside her, but they weren't being quiet about it. Whoever it was, wanted to get Bella's attention, but she wasn't turning around. Then there was silence again, and Bella thought maybe they had left. After relaxing once more, she heard a noise that terrified her. It was right next to her ear.

Someone smelled her, and they were right above her head. Bella kept her composure and kept her eyes shut. Her breathing hitched slightly but she tried her best to continue the same pace of breathing as she was before. She couldn't feel anyone above her, that feeling you get when you know someone is watching you was all that Bella could feel in that moment.

She only heard the quiet intakes of breath, and Bella wanted to know who it was. Why was someone smelling her?

"I know you're awake." The voice whispered against her ear, and she felt the wetness of his tongue grazing her ear. He actually stuck out his tongue and licked her, and it terrified Bella. This was someone dangerous, someone she hadn't met before.

Bella jerked up in her bed, and turned around to see a man she never met before. Her sore muscles no longer mattered. He had dirty blonde hair, extremely pale skin, and his eyes were blood red. He was wearing a uniform just like Peter had on before, he was a new orderly. She felt her skin begin to prickle; she didn't have to have seen the man before to know exactly who he was. This was the person that was after Alice, this was the man who wanted her so bad because of the scent she gave off. He was the monster they were hiding from, and now he was in here alone with Bella. Why was he here? What did he do to Alice?

Bella's heart dropped to the pit of her stomach and she froze, now only capable of staring at this person, expecting him to kill her at any second. After all, her scent was too strong to resist, wasn't it?

"Who are you?" Bella managed to stammer out.

The man in front of her chuckled to himself, and smiled wickedly at Bella. He clearly took joy from her frightened expression. "My name is James, and I think you know exactly who I am."


	10. Chapter 10

Laughter was the unexpected response James received from Bella when he told her his name. It was the kind of laughter that came from up from her stomach, a good hearty laugh that she couldn't stop. The more she stared at this man, the more she wanted to laugh. Her eyes started to tear up as she continued to sit and laugh at the vampire in front of her. How could a monster have a normal name like James?

He looked at her with a bizarre expression, he just told her who he was and she started laughing. What was wrong with her? Was she really insane? She should be afraid, not laughing. This made James angry as he continued to stare at her. Every time it seemed like she was going to stop laughing, she started right back up again. How long would this continue? Was she mocking him?

"I fail to see what is so funny about my appearance. You know what I am, don't you?" James questioned, trying to get Bella to listen over the sound of her own laughter.

Bella still continued to laugh, not bothering to answer his question. Of course, she didn't think this man's appearance was funny, not in the least. It was because of the timing, and how messed up her life had become that she knew the worst wasn't over yet. She sort of expected this was coming, and to have this man here, who she once thought was made up, made her laugh from disbelief. How could so many bad things happen to her in such a short about of time? If this was hell, the devil was doing a damn good job.

This, of course, angered James even more. He wasn't used to being laughed at. Just who did this girl think she was? No one laughed at him. He took a step closer toward Bella, thinking that would scare her a bit more, but nothing changed. Bella clutched her stomach from laughing so hard.

"Be quiet" James said quietly.

And still Bella laughed. She couldn't stop herself.

"I said be quiet, you foolish little girl." James was louder this time, and approached Bella. He took hold of her arms, which were shaking with laughter, and began to shake her. He was furious, and he used his strength as she shouted into her ear, "Shut up! Shut up! Stop it!"

When he finally stopped shaking her, the laughter stopped as well. Bella was slumped over in his hands; her body had given in to gravity because she was no longer conscious. She hit her head against the wall while he was shaking her, and the force knocked her out cold.

He let go of her body and let it drop down on the bed. She was warm, and smelled irresistible. He could kill her now, drain her entire body dry, and no one would even know what happened. He had his chance to kill her, to get what he had been tracking since the other took his opportunity with the short haired girl away, this was his second chance.

However, he refrained. He didn't want to take her like this, while she was knocked out and unaware of what was going to happen to her. He wanted her to know what he was going to do; he wanted to savor the kill just as much as the chase. Killing her when she was out cold wasn't going to satisfy what he had been waiting for, this was his opportunity and he wanted to take his sweet time with it to make up for the loss of the other girl.

He took her blanket and threw it over the girl, and left the plate of food by the bedside table. He was the new orderly; he would have plenty of time to spend with this girl, plenty of time to savor his next victim. No one was going to get in the way this time; he would make sure of that. James stood up quietly, and let Bella sleep. She was tired; she needed to rest before he could begin making her fight. He exited the door as quietly as he came in, and locked the door behind him. The keys he had recently been given jingled in his hands as he put them back around his neck. Who knew they would be so trusting of a complete stranger? Perhaps it was because they were trying to cover up the scandal of an escaped patient with an orderly that made them pick someone that came in randomly. They were in a hurry to replace Peter, and in doing so, replaced him with a monster.

…

Bella woke up to darkness. The room was pitch black, and when she looked outside, she saw no sign of any stars or the moon. It was all just black, not even a source of light from the lamps outside, which usually were on at this time. Her head ached the second she opened her eyes, and it took her a while to adjust to her settings and see what was in front of her. She blinked her eyes a few times and grabbed her head where she had been hit, and found a large bump. It stung when she touched it, but it was dry. She was relieved that at least it wasn't an open wound.

Bella looked around the room for any signs of the man that was there before, expecting him to be waiting for her to wake up so he could harass her, or try to make her feel afraid again. However, there was no sign of him. She thought for a moment that maybe it was all in her head, and no one really showed up, but then she noticed the tray of food that still sat on the table, and knew that it had to be him. She wasn't hallucinating, it was real.

So, where did he go, and why? She knew why he was there, the ultimate goal was to bathe in her delicious blood, he had the perfect chance to kill her when he knocked her out earlier, so why didn't he? What kind of game was he playing at, and what exactly did he want from her besides her blood?

Bella lay back down against her pillow, and tried to wrap her head around all that had just happened over the past few days, more specifically hours. Everyone was being so nice to her, something fishy was going on and she didn't like what it could possibly mean. They wanted something from her; no one would be that nice to her if there wasn't something to gain. How in the world did this James character get a job here so fast? It couldn't have been very long since Peter was here, wasn't there some kind of training or class that he would have at least had to have taken to be qualified to be around the patients? Just how exactly did he manage to get in here with her, and why didn't he do it sooner?

There were so many questions in her head that were left unanswered, but the one she wanted to know most, was where Alice was. Was she safe? Was she turned? Or did something happen, and now Bella would never see her alive again?

If James was here, it had to mean something happened to Alice, didn't it? Why would he be here with Bella if Alice was the main one he was after? Maybe Peter took her far away, and it just wasn't safe to return. Maybe she was okay after all…but then Bella remembered that it was a very dangerous thing to have hope in something so farfetched. Bella didn't want to think about the worst case scenario, she didn't want to think about the possibility of Alice being dead. The world couldn't stand to lose such a beautiful soul.

What was Bella going to do now? She was trapped here with the monsters, and they were watching her extra careful now to ensure that she was going to stay. James apparently wanted her so much that he went out of his way to get a job, because he knew she would be trapped here.

It was at that moment that she heard someone messing with the door knob, and she closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep, when the door opened. Bella heard the jingling of keys, but didn't dare open her eyes. She knew James would probably know if she was awake or not just by looking at her. She was expecting whoever it was to come wake her up, but instead, after a few seconds, the glow of the light from the hallway disappeared, and the door shut quietly. The sound of the door locking followed by the heavy footsteps of someone walking away made Bella feel that it was safe to open her eyes.

They never checked on her before, but it didn't really surprise her that now they were. She almost got away, she had her chance at freedom and they were going to make sure that she never got another chance again. Bella opened her eyes and wondered what was going to become of her now. Was this the place where she would die? How come she wasn't afraid anymore?

She knew what James wanted from her, and sure he did look frightening, but Bella wasn't scared of him. Maybe that was because her life wasn't worth living if she did not have any purpose to it. Death was better than living a life that had its purpose taken away. She laid there for a while and started to wonder, her eyes looked toward the black night and she imagined where Alice was, if she was safe, if she was okay. She hoped that she was, no matter how hard life beat her down, she couldn't help but to hold on to what little hope remained inside of her broken soul.

…

The next few days were a blur to Bella. She spent her time catching up on her sleep, and at some point, decided to eat what was left on her table. Each day someone came in and replaced her food with something new, and it didn't take long before Bella started to see the once disgusting food, as something delicious. She had been starving herself for days, and the pain was becoming too strong. So when she woke up, and found a plate of steamed fish, she couldn't resist anymore.

She took the food in, in big mouthfuls. Hardly pausing to chew her food properly, once the food hit the bottom of her stomach, she couldn't stop herself. She was so hungry, even if she didn't want to eat, the simple fact that she was human and required food over powered her desire to just stop eating. It only took a couple of minutes before she was trying to find bits and crumbs from the food she just devoured.

It was then that the door to her room opened and James came walking back in, with a wide grin spread across his face, pleased that she was finally eating. He had another tray in his hands, ready to give it to her, and Bella wanted more. When she stood up to take the tray away from him, he pulled back slightly and shook his head, all while continuing to smile.

"Nice to see you feeling better." He said quietly.

Bella stood in front of him, not finding the energy to remain standing; she slumped back down on the bed and waited for him to say something else. She was curious about this man more than anything else.

"How did you get a job here so fast?" She couldn't resist asking him a question. She was so confused on so many things, she just wanted answers. So much for waiting for him to speak first.

"They needed a quick replacement. You see…they were trying to cover up what happened, and I just happened to walk in asking about employment, it was like a miracle for them. They hardly asked me any questions, and simply gave me the job. I started the same day that I went in, lucky me."

Bella nodded her head, "Why are they trying to cover it up? Isn't that kind of difficult to do? How many people know about what happened?"

James took the tray of food and tossed it towards Alice's former bed, and Bella watched anxiously to make sure nothing fell to the floor. He then took a few steps back, and sat down on the bed, and stared at Bella curiously. He placed his arms against the bed casually, and stared at her for a second. His smile faded slightly, and he cocked his head to the right as if he were thinking about something. Finally he responded with, "Why should I tell you anything? You are the patient, the escapee, who didn't get away. You should be punished, but look at them; they're not doing a damn thing to you. They seem more afraid of you than anything else."

Bella watched him in silence for a moment; she really didn't have an answer for him. "Don't you think I deserve some kind of answers before you decide to kill me? That's what you want to do, isn't it? Or am I mistaken?"

At that, James chuckled. He hadn't experienced a victim who was already aware of what was going to happen. The fortune teller had an edge on him, that's how she wound up getting away. He didn't like himself for letting a victim get away, but he would have his moment with her, in time.

"Now, who said I was planning on killing you?" James asked in mock offense.

"I know what you are, and I know what you want. I just pray that you didn't get to Alice, and she got away before you could get to her." Bella said calmly.

James raised his eyebrows, "Who is Alice?"

"You know who she is. You've been after her for ages now. Please, don't take me as someone who is stupid or insane, I really don't belong here, and I know exactly what is going on." Bella tried with all of her might to sit up, to look daunting to James, but she was sure he only saw her as something weak, something that can be played with and defeated once his fun was over.

He laughed again, this girl was something else. He was having more fun than he'd like to admit. It was fun trying to tease her, to get under her skin. Maybe he would keep her around longer just to see how far he could take it; he didn't have anywhere else to be. He had all the time in the world.

"You don't belong here?" James asked.

"No, I don't." Bella wrapped her arms around her torso. She noticed as the clouds passed through the window and hit his skin, he started to shimmer. It was like staring into the water on a sunny day and watching the reflection of the sun in the water bounce around and mesmerize your eyes. She hadn't seen Peter shimmering before, why was that?

"You say you don't belong here, but yet, here you are. Why are you here if this is not where you belong?" He noticed her watching his skin and chuckled lightly.

"I was put in here against my will; I don't know why I am telling you any of this. It's really none of your business why I am here." All those times Bella was told to stay away from strangers, and not to talk to people she didn't know was out the window at this point. She knew he was dangerous, but she still wanted to talk to him, she wanted to know all she could about him. She was drawn to him and she wasn't exactly sure why.

"Who else are you going to tell? Why not tell me…I'm certainly not going to tell anyone. Most of the people in here are too dumb to know what's right in front of them…but you seem different." James responded. He inhaled her intoxicating scent, taking a deep breath and wanting to move further. His mouth began to seep venom at the thought of devouring her, but he wanted to wait. He had to wait. He wanted to savor her as long as he could, because once she was gone, there would be no more treat to have.

"You don't know anything about the people in here. There are a lot of people in here that don't deserve to be here, they don't deserve this kind of life. There are people in here for reasons far sillier than why I am here." Bella watched him closely. She didn't like the way he looked, his face was calm, but she knew there was a monster beneath the mask. Bella noticed that he was inching slightly closer to her; he began to lean toward her, and get closer. His nostrils were flaring as he sat there and listened to her talk.

Bella placed her hand on her thigh and gripped it tightly in order to maintain her composure. She felt she had to hold on to something and she didn't have Alice to hold anymore.

"Tell me why you're here." He was extremely gentle with his words, they were very soothing, and for a moment Bella thought he genuinely wanted to listen.

"Why?" She asked.

"Why not?" He responded.

Bella looked down from James; she made it a point to look this man in the eyes all the way up until this point. What did she have to lose? Wasn't she about to die? Didn't she accept her fate? Was this supposed to be like a priest giving their last confession and forgiveness to the sufferer who was about to meet God?

"I am attracted to women." Bella replied as simply as she could. She didn't care anymore, it didn't matter who knew what she was. Society can take their standards and rules, and shove it for all she cared. None of it mattered anymore.

James was genuinely surprised. He raised his eyebrows, and looked at Bella up and down. She was an attractive girl, which then led him to say, "But you are such a pretty girl. I'm sure you would have gotten the attention of many men."

Bella's upper lip rose slightly in disgust, "Oh shut up. That has nothing to do with my sexual preference."

James laughed once again, finding this woman even more fascinating than he ever thought he would. "So what was your relationship with the fortune teller?"

Bella was about to respond before she realized something very important. She never told James about her power, so how did he know? How could he possibly know that about her without getting close to her?

"Wait, how do you know she's able to predict things?" She asked, watching as James paused momentarily, but then moved a split second later. He could roll with the punches as quick as they came.

He shrugged, "I work here. I have access to her files."

"But you didn't even know her name when I said it the first time."

James just smiled and shrugged his shoulders once more. He was quiet, not responding to her question. This was really starting to irritate Bella; she knew he was only playing a game with her, trying to get under her skin.

"Maybe I was lying." He finally spoke.

Bella was silent for a long time, just staring at James' relaxed position on the opposite side of the room. He was clearly enjoying this. All she wanted were direct answers, but by the looks of it, it seemed that James was just going to dance around all of them and give her only cryptic responses.

"Did you kill her?" Bella blurted out.

"No" James said firmly.

Bella sighed in relief, but she couldn't tell if that was the truth or if he was just lying to her. "Did you see her out there?"

James smiled, showing all of his unusually white teeth, "What is your relationship with her? What does she mean to you?"

She only stared at him; he still wanted to play games.

"I'm answering your questions, so it's only fair that you answer mine. Was she your girlfriend? Did you kiss her? Did you touch her?" He began to move closer toward Bella, becoming excited at the thought of the two girls being together.

Bella squinted her eyes and stared at James in disgust, "That is none of your business."

"But was she your girlfriend?" He repeated.

"Yes" Bella said after a moment.

"Hmm, now I'd like to see that. Such a shame." James laughed to himself. He never imagined he would have this much fun with his victim. He thought for a second on what it would be like to see the two girls together, if they were both immortal, living forever. Alice was already there, and Bella could be next. What if he could have both girls in his own coven? The thought crossed his mind, but then he took in the scent of her blood once more and had trouble concentrating on his next thought.

"Did you see her out there?" Bella asked once again, interrupting James and his thoughts.

He looked at Bella, studied her closely. She would make a good immortal, but she was so delicious. Her skin tasted like heaven, and he could only imagine what her blood would taste like. It was then that a thought crossed his mind that would play out to be a very interesting game indeed. An idea that would change the course of this girls life, that could potentially turn her into someone like him. If he played his cards right, he could have Bella doing whatever he wanted. Then he thought of how much fun it would be to lie to Bella, make her believe something, only for her to eventually find out that what she thought she knew, was all a lie. James would be sure to be right there, watching it all unfold. It was too good to pass up. He smiled wickedly at Bella, and answered, "Yes, I did see her. I saw the other one as well. They were together."

Bella was suddenly trembling at the thought of Alice still being alive, out there living. All other thoughts left when she found out that Alice was safe, that's all she wanted to focus on. "Where was she? Was she safe?"

"He got to her before I could. She had already been changed into one of us. You see, the process doesn't take very long..." James lied through his teeth, all while smiling and looking genuinely concerned for Bella.

"So she turned then? What about Peter, where was he? What was he doing?" She asked.

What James was about to say would change the way Bella saw the world for the remainder of her existence. He was the final straw that broke the once sweet and innocent girl, and turned her cold.

"They made a bargain with me. He saw that I was very upset that Alice was changed; there was no use in her anymore. Her blood had already been spilled, and she was already transformed. She looks beautiful, by the way. There was no going back. I was angry, but they said if I spared their life, that they would tell me how to get in here…to you." James held back his smile as best as he could. This was too much fun. Finally, something interesting that could possibly play out over the course of several years. He would never get bored of this.

Bella's face dropped, she instantly became ill. Her hands began to shake, and she couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could this be? Alice would never do something like that to her. "You're lying. That can't be true." Her words came out in a stutter.

"How do you think I got this job so easily? I was coached on what to say; I knew exactly what to do because the man that previously worked here told me exactly what I needed to do. They led me straight to you, a trapped and delicious treat just for me."

Bella continued to shake her head; she could feel the tears on her face trickling down her cheeks. She could feel the pain coming back to her, the sense of betrayal bubbled up inside of her. How could hear heart handle this? The pure ache she felt as her chest continued to rise in and out, how could she keep breathing? She couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could it be true?

"But why would they tell me any of this if they were just going to leave me? What was the point of any of this? Peter and Alice couldn't have done this to me, I can't believe it." Bella asked, seeing Peter and Alice living happily as immortals, while she was sent straight to her death. She pushed the tears away from her face angrily. She had to think logically, but then she remembered how Peter ran away from Bella, only helping Alice. They didn't come back for her, neither one of them. Peter could have come back if he really wanted to, he could have taken out the people who were running after them if he only came back, but he didn't. If they were out there, they were together, and they weren't going to come back. They left her here to rot.

"They had to have someone who was slow, who would get caught first if things went wrong. You were their source; Alice took you in and comforted you, made you believe that she actually cared about you, when all the while it was Peter who she really wanted. This was their plan all along, can't you see that?" James lied so well, and Bella actually believed him. He had a way of twisting everything to make it look like what he was saying was the truth; it was hard not to believe him. She wanted to doubt, but where were they if Alice was changed? Why didn't they come back for her?

Bella could hardly believe what he was telling her, how could sweet little Alice be capable of such betrayal? Why would she treat another human being like that? How could she take advantage of someone and use them for their own gain, and then throw them away when they no longer offered anything they needed?

"She couldn't have done this." Bella didn't believe herself when she spoke.

"She was a good actress. I'm sorry. People are cruel, they'll use you and abuse you until you are nothing left but a miserable shell of a human being. You were sweet, innocent and gullible, and that's exactly the kind of people that get taken advantage of. They messed with your head, lied to you, used you all for their own gain. Now they're out there roaming free, with all eternity, while you sit in here and rot, most likely until the day you die. Which...is why they sent me here. Your little fortune teller knew this would happen all along, she knew this was how the plan would work out. You were nothing to her, nothing at all." James lowered his voice, becoming quieter as he got to the end of his speech.

The tears stopped flowing down her face; she couldn't believe this happened to her. She thought Alice was different from all the rest, but it seems like she was just the same. She was angry with the world, with the way the world treated her.

"How could she…" Bella stopped talking midsentence. There was no point in crying over this, what's done was done. Alice got exactly what she wanted; she was free from this place. No more tears, from this moment on, Bella promised herself that she would never cry again...and she kept it.

That was the final blow that hardened Bella's heart. She stared at James, she was so angry with what fate brought her. She gripped the edges of the bed, and grabbed at the bed sheets as hard as she could. She wanted to hurt something, she wanted to throw shit, she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. Bella was angry beyond the point of return. She was so impossibly angry, that she had no idea what to do with herself.

"Why haven't you killed me yet? Just get it over with." Bella said through gritted teeth. She wished nothing more than to die in this moment. What was the point of dragging out her misery, if James had any kind of sympathy, he would kill her now and be done with it.

This is exactly what James wanted, and he got it. How exciting to have a new toy to mess with. "I did think about killing you and drinking you dry. You smell so delicious, and it's incredibly hard to resist you. You look so beautiful when you're angry…such a shame that I can't have all of you, but I think I have an offer that you will find hard to refuse."

"What is it?" Bella asked after a few seconds of silence.

That is when James knew that he had Bella wrapped around his finger.


	11. Chapter 11

James held back his delight as he watched Bella fidget around on the bed. He put his hand up to his chin, and scratched a nonexistent itch. Bella was struggling with holding her tears in, the anger she was showing actually aroused him. He liked it when his women were feisty. Bella would turn out quite nice. He might have his work cut out for him, but he did love a challenge.

"How would you like to live forever?" He asked quietly, watching closely for her reaction.

She stared at the ground up until that point, and then caught sight of his blood red eyes. "And prolong my misery?"

James moved forward from the bed that was formerly Alice's, and took a few steps closer to Bella. She moved away from him as he came closer, wondering if he was going to bite her now. He sat down on her bed, and stayed far enough away from her to where she didn't scream for help.

"No one said you'd have to be miserable. You can live with me, and my mate Victoria. We can teach you what it's like to be one of us…to be immortal…to own what you truly are." James attempted to smile and comfort Bella, but it only turned out to be a creepy mistake.

"She doesn't want me. She never wanted me…I don't think I can go on with her living out there with that man. Just thinking about it hurts me too much." Bella was defeated. She just wanted everything to end, not to last forever. There was no point in living forever if she would only suffer.

"We can get back at her for what she did to you." James whispered.

Bella looked up at James with a curious expression. She didn't know exactly what he meant and was almost afraid to ask. She remained silent, and he moved his hand out to touch her knee. He was freezing, just as Peter was before.

"I don't want to hurt anyone, especially someone I still love." Bella responded, watching as his hand inched up her thigh. She didn't like where this was going, and wished that someone would come stop it. He could over power her so easily; change her against her will and then what would she do? Did she really have a choice in the matter?

"We don't have to hurt anyone…not immediately that is. How do you think Alice will feel when she thinks you've long been dead, she's moved on with her lover Peter, and then you show up? Don't you want to know what it's like to get back at someone who hurt you? Don't you want to know what it's like to have vengeance against those who betrayed you? She used you Bella, she never loved you. How can you say you still love her when she hurt you so bad?" James' grip was getting tighter and it was beginning to hurt Bella.

"It feels so good to do unto others, what has been done to you, believe me." James began to chuckle. It started out slow at first, but then picked up in pitch. His hands were now resting just below her waist.

What was he trying to do? Kill her? Have sex with her? Change her? Bella didn't get to find out because at that moment, the door to her room swung open and Ms. Wilson came walking into the room. James was already on the other side of the room by the time she entered. He picked up the tray of food, and was acting like he was cleaning up. Bella watched just how fast he moved, and the entire scene changed in a blink of an eye. One second he was there, and the next he was across the room. Ms. Wilson didn't even look at him, or seem bothered that he was in here alone with her.

Ms. Wilson looked at Bella, who was sitting on the bed with a confused look on her face, and then to James, who nodded his head, and walked passed her with the tray of uneaten food in his hands. Bella really wanted to eat, but it didn't look like she would get to anytime soon. They had her confined in here; she wasn't so sure they were going to let her out with the rest of the patients anytime soon.

"How are you doing today, dear? Have you been eating enough?" Ms. Wilson asked quietly. She sat down next to Bella on her bed, where James was just seconds ago.

Bella took a closer look at her face, which was redder than normal. Her eyes were blood shot, and she had dark circles under her eyes. "Are you going to tell me what's going on? Why aren't I being punished for what happened?"

Ms. Wilson turned and faced the door to make sure no one was listening. "There is something that you need to understand Ms. Swan. There are certain people here, staff members that rely on maintaining a good public presence to ensure our proper funding. If something like this were to get out to the public, we would be facing the possibility of getting shut down."

That was a good thing, wasn't it? "With the way people are treated here, I am surprised that you haven't been shut down yet. So I am to take it that you want me to keep my mouth shut?" Bella asked flatly. This day just kept getting better and better. She stopped and wondered for a second how she could have such a normal conversation after what she just dealt with from James. Did she just not care anymore? Had the pain of everything numbed her to anything new?

"It would be in our best interest. Think of the repercussions Bella…it isn't worth it. Who would even believe you?" Ms. Wilson asked plainly. She wasn't trying to be rude or mean, she was being honest. She was right, no one would believe her.

"Why didn't you just let me go? Why did you have to come after me? I wouldn't have told anyone." Bella asked. She thought of Alice in that moment, and wondered what she was doing. Even though she hurt her and betrayed her, she was still on her mind. She hated that about herself; that she still cared about the people that did her wrong. She was a door mat…and the thought of that only angered her further. She could feel herself shaking, not from fear, but from anger. She started to hate who she was, and how she let others treat her. No one cared about her, no matter how much she put herself out there, no matter how much a person claimed they loved her and would never leave her…they all did eventually.

"We couldn't have done that Bella. What would your parents have said? What would we have told them? We would have had an investigation on our hands. Ms. Brandon on the other hand, her father hasn't checked on her since admitting her, nor does he have plans to. She could be lost, and no one would go looking." Ms. Wilson asked.

"My parents don't care about me. They'd rather be on holiday with their friends and maintain the perfect image than to come visit their own daughter. They locked me up and threw away the key. They threw me away, just like everyone else has. I'm nothing; I could've just gone away. No one would have noticed." Bella sighed; Ms. Wilson wasn't the person to talk to. What could she possibly do for her?

"I'm sure that's not true Bella. Your parents love you very much, that's why they put you here. They only want to help you and give you what is best for yourself."

"That is complete bullshit. Don't you think I know what is best for me? Why can't I just be happy with who I am? Why does another person's opinion matter so much when it comes to who I love? There are only two people in a relationship. Why does it even matter who I love? Can you tell me that?" The anger kept rising inside of her. The offer James made stayed in the back of her mind, and the angrier she became, the more appealing the idea came. But would she become an immortal just to spite Alice? What would be the point of that kind of life?

"It's unnatural, Bella. Women don't love other women; that's not how love works. Now you need to calm down or we'll have to keep you in your room longer than we want. The others are starting to ask about you, you are causing a stir and we can't have that. It's in everyone's best interest that you are placed back into general population." Ms. Wilson was trying to get her point across to Bella, but she could tell how angry the girl was. She didn't blame her though; the poor girl was having a rough patch in her life.

"What do you know about love anyway? How could you understand love if you don't understand how I feel for her, and how my heart aches every waking moment because of her? I don't care about going into general population; I hate almost everyone out there anyway." Bella's lips began to curl in disgust over this woman and what she was trying to get by with. How was there any justice in the world?

Ms. Wilson stopped talking, and she only stared at Bella. She struck a nerve, and Bella could clearly see the range of emotion change from being stone cold to one of deep sadness in a matter of a few seconds. She stood up slowly, and made her way toward the door without saying a word. Bella was surprised from her reaction, but did not say anything to get her to stay. Before she opened the door to leave, Ms. Wilson said in a shaky voice, "I think it's best that you stay in your room for a few more days, at least until you are calm enough to reenter general population."

And with that said, the door slammed shut. James must have been on the other end of the door because she heard the sound of the locks being turned. She placed her head back against the wall and stared up at the ceiling. There were so many emotions swirling around inside of her, she didn't know what to do. She was angry, sad, heartbroken, and confused about why she even had to be here. There were so many injustices, so much going against her that it seemed almost impossible to try and fight it. She was so tired of trying to make things work, or even just trying to survive as who she truly was in this world. She wanted to give up; she wanted to stop feeling this way.

Bella was exhausted, the thought of living forever seemed like hell to her. Why would she want to live forever if she was going to feel like this for all eternity? How could she truly be herself in a world that was hell bent on beating her into a place she didn't want to be? The world made it clear; she was not to be loved by anyone. Bella's purpose was to be used, and left when something better came along. Her brain ached from thinking about how miserable she was, she was so tired of listening to the thoughts in her head that repeated over and over again, every day of her life.

She didn't want to hear it anymore. Bella wanted peace and quiet, to be able to sleep forever and never worry about someone breaking her heart again. Could she see herself living as an immortal and actually being happy? No, she couldn't see that. It was not worth it, but how would James feel about that? He would get his precious blood, but would she even want to give him the pleasure of killing her?

Bella thought about killing herself before he could get his hands on her, when he wasn't around to know what she was doing. Then he wouldn't have the privilege of getting what he wanted, why does he deserve to have the pleasure? It was her body, and if she wanted to die, it should be her choice. She wasn't going to live, or die, on anyone else's terms. The only issue with that though was, there wasn't anything in the room that she could kill herself with. The windows were too thick for her to break, the bars would keep her from jumping out, and there were no sharp objects, or strings, ropes or laces of any kind. There wasn't anything she could use that would do the trick. She would have to wait until she had the chance, had the opportunity to do it.

"Why couldn't you have just loved me? Wasn't I worth it?" Bella spoke to no one. She continued to stare up at the ceiling, her eyes growing heavy. All she had been doing lately was eating or sleeping, there wasn't much else to do with her life. If this was how it was going to be for the rest of her existence, then she had no reason to stick around.

…

The days slowly passed, and eventually turned in to weeks. Bella had been confined in her room for the past few weeks now, only being let out to shower or to use the restroom. Her food continued to be brought to her by James, who would only give her the food after he harassed her some more, and still continued to try and convince her that living as an immortal was better than him just sucking out her blood. Bella slowly began to gain weight again, and regain her health, which was slightly disappointing to Bella. In her state of mind, she wanted to starve herself, that was the only way she thought she would be able to kill herself, but James made sure that she ate. Every time she tried to refuse, James came closer and closer and touched her, and threatened to touch more if she wouldn't eat. This sick game he was playing really started to mess with her head, and she began wishing that she would just die already.

"I don't want to live forever; I just want it to end." Bella said one evening after James allowed her to eat.

"Don't you want revenge?" James inquired.

"If she is happy, then just let her be. This world was not meant for me. I was a mistake, and leaving me here forever would just be a waste." Bella said quietly. She didn't know why she continued to talk to this man. She should have just shut down, and not allowed him to tell her anything else, or at least, not listen to it.

"But you have no idea what your potential is…there are others out there like you and me, I'm sure you could find someone out there who is just like you, and will love you too. You need to meet my mate, Victoria. I know she would like you, and I think the two of you have a lot in common." James tried a different route in convincing Bella. He wanted her to stay with him; he wanted her to want to be immortal. He had to try and break her, and make her think differently. She had to be angry, she had to want to kill, but how was he going to achieve that when it seemed that all Bella wanted to do was to give up?

"Why do you even care? What happened to wanting to eat me?" Bella asked, genuinely curious as to why this random stranger even cared what happened to her.

"Because I can relate to what you're feeling. I know that feeling, I have been there myself, and there is nothing better than getting revenge on the ones that betrayed you in life. It feels so satisfying, and I know you will feel that too. There is meaning to your existence; maybe you just haven't discovered your true potential yet."

Bella pushed her food aside, and James took it in his hands, making sure not to touch Bella to make her uncomfortable. She looked at him with a curious expression; he hadn't seen that in her before. She seemed intrigued, like she almost considered what he was saying for a moment.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Maybe the reason why you feel so out of place in this world is because you were not meant to be human, you were meant to be immortal. Do you really want to just give up, without truly knowing what your worth was? Don't you want to find out what you could become? You could live until the end of time, see things no one else will see in their lifetime, watch the world change for the better, see history being made and remember all of it, because you were there."

"The world is cruel, history is full of death and despair, the world will change, but the people will stay the same. There will always be something wrong; some kind of evil or injustice, people will always suffer. Why would I want to live for an eternity to see all of that?" Bella was huddled against the corner by her bed, just watching James as he struggled to come up with something else to say. She could tell he was getting frustrated with her, and it wouldn't be long before he would probably just kill her out of anger.

James stared at Bella carefully; she always had an argument to whatever he said. Was the girl really worth this much trouble? She needed another push, there were times when he could see that she actually considered what he was saying, but there was too much good about her still. Something had to give; she needed something that would push her in the direction he wanted her to go. Her parents crossed his mind, if they came to visit, then maybe that would push her further, but then again, she seemed to have already written them off. If only he could get Alice to come visit her, knowing she was out there free while she was here rotting, that would definitely push her over the edge and provoke her dark side. The issue with that though, was that Alice wasn't who he made her out to be, and most likely did care for Bella. He had no idea where she had gone, but that would be the fun of the chase.

As luck would have it, at that very moment, Ms. Wilson came knocking on her door. She entered without waiting for any kind of reply, and looked curiously toward James, who had been visiting Bella quite frequently over the last few days. Had no one taken notice of the frequent visits? She didn't want a repeat of Peter and Alice.

"Ms. Swan, you have a visitor." Ms. Wilson shrugged her suspicious thoughts aside. She looked to Bella, saw that she was huddled up against the wall, and thought that her seeing a familiar face would do her some good. She didn't know how wrong she was.

Bella moved out of the corner, feeling like she was a scared animal. She wasn't expecting anyone to come visit her, who could it possibly be? Her parents should have still been out on holiday, or so she thought. She wasn't exactly sure what day it was, but it was the New Year. 1921 was turning out horrible so far.

"Who is it? My parents?" Bella asked, looking at James, who quietly made his exit without saying anything further to the women.

"No, I'm afraid not, it's your old friend Susan." Ms. Wilson knew of the relationship between the girls, from the files that she read and recounts from Bella's mother, the two were once inseparable.

Bella shook her head, "What do you mean? She can't see me here, can she?" She hadn't even thought of Susan in the last few weeks, she was just a distant memory at this point. Why was she here now?

"Actually, the doctor requested that she come visit you…before any of this mishap occurred. He will allow the visit, so if you'll follow me." Ms. Wilson gestured, not wanting to touch Bella or force her.

"I don't want to see her." Bella said without moving.

"You don't have a choice. Now come on, the sooner you go, the faster it can be over with." She took a step closer to Bella, who knew where this would lead, and stood up before she could get any closer. If she was going to do this, she would do it on her own terms.

Ms. Wilson nodded her head, and motioned for Bella to walk out the door. She stepped outside of her room for the first time in days. As she walked down the hallway she could hear the whispers and feel the stares of the other patients. It was only natural that they would have gossiped about her, she didn't blame them. She saw Janet in the far corner of the common area, with her same group of friends. Janet stared with glee as Bella passed the group, and when she turned the corner, she heard Janet's familiar cackle and her friends giggling after her. It's kind of funny how people will follow a bully, Bella felt sorry for them. They were scared of Janet, that's the only reason they were friends with her, if you could even call them that.

Instead of going to the visitor's room, where the other patients had their guests, Bella was guided by Ms. Wilson to a separate room. She wasn't nervous or afraid of seeing Susan, she had accepted what Susan had done to her, and felt she already cried enough over her that she was done. Alice had taken that pain away, and replaced with her own wrong doings. When the door opened, and Ms. Wilson gestured for Bella to enter, she hesitated for a moment. She couldn't see who was on the other side of the door, but she knew who it was. Bella took a deep breath and stepped in the room to find Susan sitting there, just as she always had been. Nothing had changed.

The two of them locked eyes, and Susan's eyes widened at the sight of her for a moment, but then chose to look away. Bella took a few steps in and sat down at the chair on the opposite side of the table. Ms. Wilson shut the door, but was still in the room with the girls. Of course they weren't going to let the two of them be alone together, not that Bella even thought about touching the other girl.

She tried her best to stay in the corner, unseen, but her presence was too noticeable. Bella stared at Susan, not saying a word. This was the first time she had seen her since that night, where she discovered who she thought was the love of her life, in the arms of another. The ache still lingered, no matter how much she would like to forget. It will always be there, Bella had come to accept it. The pain would always be there, some days it would feel like nothing, and others, that familiar ache of the heart would return. Though, she couldn't blame Susan entirely for that pain, not now anyway. There was a much larger hole in her heart from Alice.

She was sure she must have looked frightening to Susan, who continued to stare at the ground, the table, the wall, anywhere except on Bella. It was curious to see her, in her perfectly clean pink dress, with perfect makeup and perfect nails. She was the proper woman…and Bella suddenly wondered why she was ever in love with this girl.

Everything about her seemed off, and she saw nothing appealing about the girl sitting on the other side of the table. What was she supposed to say to this girl? Why had Doctor Irving insisted that she see Susan after all that happened?

"Hello, Isabella." Susan said finally, stealing a glance at Bella and returning her gaze to the floor once more.

"Susan" Bella replied. She pushed her messy hair out of her face; she didn't really care what she looked like now.

"How have you been?" Susan asked, and immediately regretted asking.

Bella was quiet for a second, taking in the absurdity of the question, and then started laughing. That was a really stupid question to ask, and for some reason, Bella found it hilarious. "How do you think I've been?" she said in between laughter.

Ms. Wilson only stared at the two girls quietly, and wrote down notes occasionally.

"I haven't seen you in a very long time." Susan said, ignoring the laughter.

"Not since my parents threw me in here, and lost the key. How have you been?" Bella dared to ask.

Susan lifted her mouth in an attempted smile, and quickly dropped it. She fidgeted with her hands, and that's when Bella noticed the ring. She had forgotten all about her ex-girlfriends engagement. The thought didn't really make her feel anything in any certain direction; she just stared at the ring, and looked back up at Susan.

"I'm getting married soon." Susan said quietly. She really wasn't saying much at all.

Bella nodded her head, "Oh yes, I've heard the wonderful news. I'm sure it will be a wedding that is sure to please society, and your parents. I'm sure your mother is so proud of you for finding a man, but I'm not so sure how you'll feel."

"What do you mean?" She asked Bella.

Bella raised her eyebrow slightly, "You aren't being true to who you really are, are you? You like women, I know you do. The only reason you are marrying a man is to please your family. What would they think if they knew how much I could make you moan, a woman."

"Bella!" Susan shouted, she looked over to Ms. Wilson and blushed deeply.

"It's true, isn't it? I bet when you're fucking him, you're thinking about fucking me." Bella suddenly didn't care anymore. She let her true feelings fly.

Susan stood up, ready to leave and walk out. Ms. Wilson took a step forward, ready to open the door back up and escort Susan out if she was ready to leave. "I don't have to sit here and take this from you. Go to hell, Bella." She practically spit at the brunette.

"Where the fuck do you think I am now? Paris? This is hell Susan." Bella slammed her fists against the table as hard as she could, hurting herself in the process.

Susan stared at Bella one last time, and turned away from her. Before she walked away, she said facing away from her, "Maybe if you changed who you were attracted to, you wouldn't be here."

"I loved you like a God Damn fool Susan. Don't you dare give me that Bullshit. You know just as well as I do, you can't change who you love, no matter how hard you try to hide it. Good luck with your fake fucking marriage, you'll be miserable in no time." Bella shouted at Susan. It felt good to be able to let out the anger she felt inside. This was only the beginning.

Susan huffed, and stormed out of the room with Ms. Wilson quick on her heels. Before she was completely out of the door, she turned to Bella and said, "Don't you go anywhere, I'll be back to guide you to your room. That was completely uncalled for."

Bella watched as Ms. Wilson walked out of the door, and immediately sat up from the table after her. Anger was flowing through her veins and once she got a little bit of it out, it was like an explosion. She took the chair she was just sitting on, picked it up, and hurled it across the room, shouting in the process. She was far too mad, too angry, to think properly. Her cheeks were burning, and she could feel her pulse pounding against her cheeks.

She walked out of the room without waiting for Ms. Wilson to come back. She had to make the people who did her wrong pay, she had to get back at the one who humiliated her, locked her up, and bullied her. She couldn't contain herself anymore. She wanted revenge on everyone; Bella had reached her breaking point.

Bella walked past the visitor's room where some of the patients sat there, with loved ones. That little girl she encountered when she was in there with her parents was there again. She stopped and watched them for a second, watching the parents closely, wondering why any sane person would put a person in here. That little girl didn't deserve to be here, no one did. The little girl was clinging to her father, begging to be taken home again.

She couldn't stand to look at the situation anymore, and turned away from the visitor's room, making her way back to the common room. She wanted to find James; she wanted to accept his deal. Who would she be if she allowed the world to beat her down, to make her want to die? What kind of person would she be if she didn't fight back, she was tired of lying here, and taking it. It was time the dog barked back. Bella would find Alice; she would find her and get her revenge. She would find everyone who wronged her, and get revenge, one way or another. James would gladly help her.

Bella was walking back to her room, not caring who saw her, when Janet saw her opportunity and came up from her side and began to say, "I knew you and the witch were up to no good. It's people like you that make me sick to my stomach, and to think I tried talking to you."

Bella turned to face Janet, who smiled wickedly, and continued, "I know what you are, you're sick. Probably thinking about hitting on me…" but she was unable to finish her sentence.

Bella balled her hand in a fist, and hit Janet as hard as she could across the face, knocking the woman to the floor, and breaking her nose. She leaned over Janet, who was now trying to squirm away, and said, "You're crazy to ever think I was ever interested in you. It's people like you that make ME sick."

The nurses ran up to Janet once they noticed what was going on, and one of them tried approaching Bella before James appeared out of the corner, and grabbed Bella by the arms, taking her to her room, and shutting the door behind them before the situation escalated further. Bella was furious, and she couldn't see herself calming down anytime soon.

James was happy to see this side of Bella, it excited him greatly. He tried to hold back his joy, and he stood by the door, and watched Bella pace back and forth in the room. "What has gotten into you?" He asked.

"I want you to change me; I want you to change me now. I want revenge." Bella stopped and faced James, unafraid of him. Her heart was pounding, maybe it was the last few beats she would ever have.

"Are you sure that is what you want?" James asked.

"Yes, change me." Bella said in the heat of the moment. She wasn't entirely sure just exactly what she was asking for, but it would be too late for her to change her mind.

"As you wish." James smiled and approached Bella with a wicked grin.

* * *

**Author's Note**

**"Trust me, I know how it feels. I know how it hurts. I know you cry in the shower so no one will hear your screams. I know you wait until everyone goes to sleep to fall apart. I know it's not easy, but I know exactly what that feels like."**


	12. Chapter 12

The space enclosed around her as James hovered over her, knocking her down against the bed. Was this really what she wanted? Even if she changed her mind, she was certain that James wouldn't. She said yes, and there was no turning back now.

"Are you going to do this now?" She asked, suddenly afraid of what was happening. She could hear Ms. Wilson and some of the other nurses on the other side of the door, trying to get inside the room. How would he ever turn her before they came in? All of this became way too much too fast, she couldn't think properly.

James nodded his head, and leaned in closer toward her. She was expecting him to bite her, but instead lifted her up in his arms. He was going to carry her away. Bella caught sight of her suitcase, with all of her belongings in it. The last remains of her life sat in that suitcase. She saw Alice's stuffed pig and suddenly wanted to take it with her. She didn't want to leave the past behind completely. Something inside of her just couldn't let go of Alice. She had to hang on still, even after all that happened, even after how she was treated.

"Wait, take my stuff with me." Bella said to James, who looked at her confused. This was no time to be sentimental about the past.

"I want to remember my past as much as I can. Please, don't leave it here with them." The words echoed through the room. James stared at her for a second, wasting even more time. He nodded his head, and quickly put Bella down, and grabbed her suit case. The commotion from outside her room stopped, and then everything went silent. That's when James turned around to see Ms. Wilson staring at him with a strange expression on her face. What was he trying to do?

Bella grabbed the stuffed pig by the tips of her fingers, and James whisked her back up in his arms, gripping her tightly. Bella could feel the strength of his arms almost crushing her.

"What do you think you're doing? Put her down this instant." Ms. Wilson shouted, taking a step forward. As if she was any match for James.

James made a break for it, running straight into Ms. Wilson and knocking her and the other nurses back out into the hallway, causing them to land on their backs. Bella could only see them from behind, their faces masked with horror as James led her further and further away from the group. She could see some of the patients looking around the corner, and wondering just what was happening. Why was this man carrying Bella away from them, and how could he be moving so fast.

Bella knew in that moment, that she would never see any of these women again. The girls she came to know, some she liked, and some she didn't, this is the last time she would see any of them. She just knew it. There was hardly any time to feel sentimental; James was running so fast it was almost hard to make out what was around her. Bella saw blurs of bodies and people screaming, not understanding what was going on, or why this man was moving so fast. James approached the same door that Peter and Alice escaped from, the same one that had all its locks switched, and ripped the door completely off its hinges with one arm.

Bella gripped the suitcase with Alice's stuffed pig and what little belongings she had inside, as hard as she could. She wasn't going to lose it, she had to hold on. Bella suddenly felt the breeze of winter air blow past her, and shivered. The speed at which James was moving made it even more unbearable. Her arms began to shake, and she could feel herself becoming numb. It took everything she had to hold on to the suitcase. James was silent the entire time he was running, by the looks of her blurred surroundings, they were already in the forest.

_Is this where Alice went_, Bella wondered.

James felt like ice, the wind blowing around her chilled her to the bone, and she couldn't feel her hands anymore. She looked down at her hand, and saw the suitcase still remained. Just how far were they going to go? Was James going to even say anything to her? When was he going to change her?

What felt like hours had passed, which in actuality was only a few minutes. James traveled several miles away from the asylum, through the bushes and trees. He knew exactly where he was going. He could tell that Bella was freezing, and contemplated turning her now, as he traveled, but he knew he had to wait for Victoria. He wanted to show her his catch before he changed her.

Bella's muscles clenched and her eyes closed. She didn't feel like she could take much more of the cold, and that's when she realized James had slowed his pace. She could hardly turn her head to realize where he was taking her. She made out a small structure up ahead of them, and tried her best to move, but couldn't. The cold had been too much, she had no protection. So instead she lay in James' arms and watched as he approached someone else, someone she hadn't met before, standing in front of a small shack, out in the middle of nowhere.

"Is this the one you were after?" A female spoke. Bella looked up and saw flaming red locks of hair blowing in the wind. She looked at the face, and noticed a pair of wide red eyes, staring right back at her.

"She is the consolation prize, so to speak." James was sure to choose his words carefully around Bella; he knew she was still awake.

"She doesn't smell like it." Victoria picked up her scent from miles away, and knew that her mate would be returning soon. She was starving, and Bella was going to be the perfect meal.

Victoria took a step toward the girl, but James gave her a look that made her stop. "We aren't going to feed off of her. She is going to join us, be a part of our coven."

Victoria looked at him confused, and instantly felt jealous. The girl he was holding was an attractive woman, and she knew James wasn't exactly monogamous. "What do you mean? I thought that's why you went on this elaborate hunt in the first place. What is the point of catching her if we can't enjoy her, James?"

James walked past Victoria to take Bella inside, he knew the girl was freezing and would need either warmth or to be changed soon. He entered the small wooden shack, and set Bella down against the bed, where Victoria had been waiting for the past several months now. There wasn't much on it, no blanket, or pillow; it was just a beat up mattress that had a few holes in it already.

Victoria followed him inside to watch him place her against the bed. The suitcase finally fell out of Bella's hands as she began to violently tremble. She wrapped herself in a ball, and tried to pay attention to what was going on, but her mind wasn't thinking properly. She watched James walk back to Victoria and lead her back outside. They shut the door behind them, so she wasn't able to see what they were doing, nor could she hear anything. Were they just going to leave her here? Were they going to kill her anyway? Was this just some ploy to get her away from the public, so he could have his way with her, and drain her of her blood?

Bella stared at the door, not blinking, and hardly breathing, waiting for something to happen, anything at all. Finally, the door opened, and Victoria stepped in with a hard look on her face. She seemed displeased with what was going on, but wasn't going to get in the way. James followed, and approached Bella, kneeling down in front of her.

He stared at her, and moved her head slightly back, exposing her neck.

"You better hurry up, she's freezing to death." Victoria said behind James' shoulder.

He looked back at her and nodded, "Are you sure you can contain yourself?"

"Yes." Victoria said quietly.

He nodded once more, and looked back at Bella. She waited, without saying a word. These were the last few breaths she would ever take. This is where she would die, only to be reborn as something new, something peculiar. Here in this shack, no one would hear her screams, and no one would care what happened to her. Bella only stared as James moved over her neck and finally bit into her neck. The warmth of her blood spilling down her neck was the first thing she felt, who knew her body could contain such heat if she was freezing on the outside? The second thing she felt was James sucking on her neck, the pressure was immense, and she could tell he was enjoying himself. The next was the pain of the venom beginning to flow through her body, it tightened every muscle in her body, and the muscles that were freezing only seconds ago, were now burning. It felt as if her entire body had caught on fire, starting at her neck, and slowly coursing through her body.

Bella stared out with wide eyes, not really looking but seeing Victoria in the distance, approaching James. Her eyes were wide, watching as he drank. How did she have so much control over the situation? Why wasn't she like him?

She pulled on him, but he pushed her back, sucking on Bella even harder. Victoria wasn't really determined to get James to stop drinking, she figured if he sucked her dry, then that's just how it would have to be. She didn't know this girl, the story James told her seemed a little too cruel. His intentions for this young girls life wasn't good, nothing positive would come from this girl changing.

"You're going to kill her if you don't stop." Victoria said flatly.

Bella could feel her heart slowing down, she tried to make herself breathe, but her heart wouldn't let her. She was fighting for air, fighting for what little life she had left, before James tore himself away from her. He looked down at her with blood covering his mouth, and smiled down at her. "It won't be long now."

He turned to Victoria, who stared at him curiously. Bella watched in her fading vision as he approached Victoria and kissed her, with Bella's blood still covering his mouth. Victoria wrapped her arms around him, and began to lick around his mouth, and suck on his lips as they continued to make out right in front of the dying girl.

Bella stared at them and through her pain, wondered what kind of sick life she was getting herself in to. She managed to reach down to the ground and touch the side of her suitcase, which had fallen open when she dropped it, and reached out for the stuffed pig. Her head wasn't moving but her hands were, and she could feel the soft, fuzzy feeling of the pig brush against her fingertips. She tried to grasp for the stuffed animal, but couldn't reach it. The slowing of her heart made Bella stop moving, and the tips of her finger remained on top of the pig, barely touching it as she died.

This is where she would be when her heart stopped beating completely.

This is how she would die, holding on with all her might to the stuffed pig of the woman who betrayed her.

This is where she would be reborn.

…

This is where she would wake up; gripping the stuffed pig as she gained strength she never had before. Her new life would begin here, in this shack. What seemed like ages had passed, through the pain and the rebuilding of her muscles, the venom coursed through her body now, repairing and making her stronger.

Bella woke up, looking at the world with her brand new eyes, and the first thing she saw were James and Victoria staring back at her.

"She's awake." James said with a smirk. She looked so much better than she did before. He was attracted to her, and he knew that Victoria was aware of this. He knew she would be a fantastic looking vampire.

"Welcome to your new life." James continued, holding out a hand to Bella to help her up. He was acting like a school boy with the opportunity to touch his crush. Victoria looked from James then back to Bella, who was staring at Victoria, not really sure who she was.

Bella ignored James offered hands, and sat up from her makeshift bed, faster than she expected. She looked down at her clothes, and saw the dried up blood that ran down her neck and was now crusting against her clothes. It scared her, and she felt her chest for any wounds, but found nothing there. She looked back to James and Victoria, who were watching her curiously.

"How do you feel?" James asked, moving his hand back to his side.

Bella was quiet for a moment, looking around the dilapidated shack, and noticing all the little details around her, like the cracks in the wood, the sound of leaves blowing in the wind outside, the crunching of twigs from nearby animals. She then took a breath in and smelled something she could hardly resist. It was drawing her up, and she sat up from her bed, and started walking toward the door without another word spoken to either one of the other vampires.

They looked at each other, as Bella helped herself out of the shack, and then began to follow her. They didn't want to stop what she was going to do, if she was going to kill a human, then it would be a glorious sight to see. They had a newborn on their side; things would come easy to them, at least for a while.

"What's that smell?" Bella asked, noticing slight changes in her voice. She inhaled once more, and started walking toward the scent, but the more she smelled, the faster she started walking. James and Victoria were right behind her, when she started picking up pace and began running toward the scent.

"It's blood." Victoria shouted after her. Although she knew this was James' new pet, she was intrigued by this girl. She had turned out quite nice, but how long would this last before James became tired of his game? Would he want to kill the girl after he had his fun with her? By the look on his face, she didn't think he would tire of her anytime soon. Still…the game he was playing with this poor girl made even Victoria feel sorry for her.

James started to laugh when Bella began running too fast, and the duo was left in the dust, trying to catch up to her. He didn't care where she was going, or who or what she was going after. He changed this girl; this was his pet, his property. She could do whatever she pleased; after all she was a newborn who was hungry. No one was going to stop her.

Bella finally reached her destination, and saw that what she was after, was a bobcat. She froze for a second, staring at the massive cat. She startled the cat and he began to run off, but Bella was unsure of what to do. She had never gone up against something so powerful before, how would she be able to kill this beast?

James came up from behind her, "Go Bella. You are stronger than that animal; he is no match for you. Give in to your hunger."

Bella nodded her head, and ran after the bobcat, catching up to it in a matter of seconds, and knocking it over as she hit against it, and crushed it against the trunk of a tree. The cat shrieked, but it was too late, Bella had crushed his ribs and snapped his neck, as she bit into its flesh and drank the blood as fast as she could. James and Victoria caught up to see the light of life dying in the bobcat, and Bella tossing it aside like a rag doll. The thirst inside of her was much too strong for her to contain or have any modesty. Once she got her fill of blood, she looked back at the animal, and felt a small bit of remorse for what she did. The bobcat didn't deserve that.

James began laughing, and even dared to clap his hands. He approached Bella with a smile, and patted her on the back like they were the best of friends. "What a sight!" He shouted.

Victoria walked towards the carcass of the bobcat, and looked down at his neck, noticing the rather large gash Bella had caused. She bit into him rather hard, almost tearing his entire neck off. The girl was strong, stronger than both James and Victoria. If she found out what James was up to while she was still a newborn, Victoria had no doubt that Bella would kill him.

Bella looked down at her arms, ignoring James shouts of joy, and only realized then just how much she had changed physically. What just happened was almost like a trance, she couldn't help herself, and that was the scary part. What would she do if she couldn't have self-control? What or who would she end up hurting?

Immediately, Bella stopped inhaling. It was odd to stop doing something she had done all her life, but she had no trouble. How could she exist if she didn't need air? The concept seemed odd to her. This whole situation seemed odd, how could this even be real? It was like she was thrown into a nightmare that progressively became worse as time went on.

"What is this life?" Bella asked herself more than anyone else that was around her. James was inspecting the bobcat, and admiring the damage she had done. Victoria took a few steps closer to Bella, and caused Bella to jump.

"You are one of us now. There are many things you will come to learn about what we are in the next few days. You crave blood, it's essential for your survival, but I think you've already figured that out." Victoria gestured to the dead animal in the distance.

"Who are you?" Bella asked, not quite remembering if James had mentioned this person before or not.

"I am Victoria, James' mate. I've been waiting for him to come back from his little hunting adventure, and it seems he brought you along as the prize." Victoria said in a flat voice. Bella couldn't tell what Victoria was feeling, she showed no emotion.

Bella was still awkward as a vampire it seems, "Well I'm Bella…" She didn't know what else to say.

Victoria lifted the side of her lips, an almost smile crossed her features, "Yes, James explained to me all about you and where you came from. Tell me, how does it feel to know that you will never die?"

Bella thought about what she said for a second, the realization hadn't crossed her mind yet. How could that be possible? Surely everyone had to die at some point. "It's hard to believe that is actually true."

"You'll start to believe it after twenty years have gone by, and after fifty, and one hundred…two hundred years even. Time just keeps going, but you'll stay the same, forever." Victoria took a couple of steps closer to Bella, getting a good look at her. James was right that she was beautiful, in a sad sort of way. She could tell just by looking in Bella's eyes, that she didn't have a happy life. She pushed aside the feelings of sympathy, and turned her attention back to James, who was now holding the bobcat in his arms, swinging it around as if he was dancing with it.

Bella looked at James with horror, she felt terrible for what she had just done to the poor animal, and he was now twirling its body around like it was a joke. She looked away, and wanted nothing more than to be alone. James was quite the character, but she didn't know how she would handle living an eternity with him, if in the first few minutes of her being immortal, she already couldn't stand him.

"You'll have to forgive him; he is just excited about you." Victoria gestured toward James, who was now walking toward the girls, no longer holding the animal, but soaked in its blood.

"Just wait until you smell a human." James smiled like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Bella would vomit if she could; she couldn't kill a human being, no matter how bad she craved the scent. She was in the forest now, away from people, but what would happen if she wanted to go into a town or city, would she just end up killing everyone?

"I don't think I can do that to a person." Bella said quietly. She began walking away from the animal, and the bobcat, just to get away from the scene. Victoria followed, understanding how she felt. Victoria used to feel that way, but learned to get over that feeling long ago.

"James can be rather…unashamed of what we are. I'm sorry, I know the feeling you're going through, it just takes time to get used to. There are some of us that can only feed on animals and get by, but others like James, enjoy feeding from humans." Victoria tried to make Bella feel better about the situation, and she didn't even know why, usually she wouldn't care. She figured she just felt sorry for the girl.

"And what do you feed on? Humans too?" Your eyes are like his, as red as can be." Bella hadn't gotten the chance to look at her own reflection yet, but her eyes were red as blood too.

James approached the girls from behind, and they all began walking back toward the shack. "Victoria loves feeding on humans just as much as I do." He gave her a look, and she shrugged it off. He put his hands around both of the girl's shoulders as if they were one big happy family now.

Bella didn't respond but gave a sour look.

"You'll get used to it my dear Bella. I'll teach you everything I know." James tugged tighter on Bella, squeezing her on the shoulders. If she were human, he would have crushed her bones.

She still didn't respond, and the trio walked back to the shack in silence. On the way to the shack, they passed a small stream that eventually must have flowed into the lake just outside of the asylum. Victoria motioned for Bella to go to the stream. "Get a look at yourself in the reflection."

Bella took a few steps forward, almost afraid to see what she looked like now, especially after gutting the bobcat and eating him in a frenzy. She poked her head just over the edge of the stream, and saw that her hair was mainly the same, but a bit brighter in shade. The stream didn't provide an accurate display because the ripples were constantly moving. She then noticed her eyes, the blood red appearance terrified her, but she expected to be frightened. If she stayed away from people, then they would change eventually. At least she hoped they would. Her mouth was still covered in blood, and it dripped down her chin and on to her neck.

"I need to clean up. I don't like the way I look." Bella said more to herself than to the others. It wasn't like there was a shower or bath that was readily available for her to use. She dipped her hand in the water, and it was unusually warm for it being mid-February, in fact, she wasn't cold at all. The wind was blowing just as strong as ever, but she wasn't cold. She was still wearing the same clothes she had on the day she left the asylum, and they were caked in dried blood and dirt.

Bella scooped up some water in her hands and splashed it on herself, washing and watching as the blood became liquid once more and started to pool in the stream.

"I can go find you something fresh to wear. There was a farmer not too far from here, with a daughter around your age. You need some as well James; you look like you just came out of a horror movie." Victoria mentioned, after staring at James, who was memorized with his new toy. He was still wearing his white orderly uniform, which was now covered in bobcat blood.

"Please don't hurt them." Bella responded. She turned around at the two people who weren't the greatest companions in the world, but they created her. Victoria didn't seem too terrible, but if she was with James, then Bella wondered what this woman was really like, when she didn't need to be polite.

"I won't do anything to them. I know he hangs up his clothes on a line to dry, if it's not raining right now, there is a chance they'll be drying clothes." Victoria said. She was already walking away, off to this mysterious farm.

That left James alone with Bella.

Bella continued to wash herself, she wanted nothing more than to take off these disgusting clothes that only reminded her of her horrible past, but she didn't want to do it in front of him. James was quiet as a mouse; because the next second, James was at her side, helping her clean off by taking her arm and washing it off in the water. He didn't bother washing the blood off of himself.

Bella was too curious to remain quiet any longer. "Why are you being so nice to me? When I was human, you wanted nothing more than to tear me apart and feast on my blood."

James smiled, his brilliant white teeth surprising Bella, no matter how many times she had already seen them. "I changed you, I am your creator. I want to make sure you adjust to being one of us as best as you can. It's almost like having a daughter…almost."

Bella raised her eyebrows, honestly surprised by what he was saying. This wasn't the same man that walked into the asylum, it couldn't have been.

"You see me as your daughter?" Bella questioned.

James was silent for a minute; he pushed his hair back behind his ears, and looked up into Bella's eyes. "If I wasn't so attracted to you I would."

That made Bella cringe, but since James was right there watching her, she stayed still, not betraying any emotion.

"Why didn't you tell me about Victoria before?" Bella asked; trying to change the subject without it seeming like it was intentional. She continued to wash her neck, but James hadn't let go of her other arm yet.

James chuckled, allowing the change of subject. "But I did mention her, you simply don't remember. I told you that you could live with me and my mate Victoria…that we would teach you the ways, and we would start our own little coven. Just the three of us."

Bella shook her head, not quite remembering the moment he spoke of. Maybe the venom altered her memory of her past…

Bella stopped for a moment and thought about it. Just how much had she remembered from her time before she was changed? It all seemed so blurry, and so distant, almost like it was a dream. Maybe that is what happened to Alice…if she had suffered from amnesia before, who is to say that it didn't happen again? Bella thought about that for a second, and then brushed it off; there is no way that could have been possible. She was only thinking wishfully, and she already learned before, that there is no truth in wishful thinking.

"So, there is no one else out there that you haven't told me about?" Bella asked.

"Well I do have friends who come join me from time to time, as I'm sure you'll meet in the coming years, but no. Usually it is just myself and Victoria." James let go of Bella's hand, seeing that all the blood had been washed off successfully. The two of them continued to sit there, and listen to the sounds of nature. Bella didn't want to admit it, but this was sort of peaceful, especially when James wasn't speaking. This isn't what she expected at all.

"How many others would you say exist out there?" Bella asked.

"You mean blood suckers?" James smiled.

"Yes"

"I can't be sure, but we do have a system of laws we have to follow. The Volturi makes sure we don't get out of control."

Bella had no idea what he was talking about, "The who?"

"The Volturi. You humans have police officers and governments; just think of the Volturi as that, but for vampires. They ensure our safety and make sure we remain hidden from the world. They probably wouldn't have taken a liking to what I've done to you, or how I went about it, but that doesn't really matter."

"You mean the way you pushed over all those nurses and busted out of the asylum? Are you not afraid they will come for you?" Bella inquired. This was rather intriguing, and she wondered for a moment, if she would have to meet these people in charge. What if they found her and didn't like that she changed, would they kill her?

"No, I'm not afraid. I am close with a few people who are members of the Volturi, and I'm sure if I had to explain my situation, if it came to that, I could get them to see my point of view. You were just too irresistible to let go."

He started to move closer to Bella, leaning in like he was going to whisper something, but it was at that moment that Victoria came in-between the two and handed Bella a set of clothes, while tossing some at James. It was a homemade dress, with an itchy fabric. It wasn't the best, but it was better than what she was wearing.

"I see the two of you have been getting to know each other a bit better." Victoria remarked. She crossed her arms and stared at James, as Bella got up, thankful for the interruption.

"I'm just going to go change over here." Bella mentioned, not really looking back at the two to see what they were going on about.

Bella walked over to a large tree, one that was big enough to mask her from their view and began to strip down. She looked down at her body, and noticed just how much whiter she was. She was pale before, but now it was as if her skin was porcelain. Her stomach was hard as a rock, she actually had muscles there now, and in fact she had muscles everywhere. She was actually enjoying what she was seeing, but didn't want to keep her two companions waiting. She threw on the dress over her head, and decided to leave her old clothes behind. They would be no use to her now. Once they were far enough away from this place, maybe she could actually get some decent clothes.

She walked up to James and Victoria who were talking quietly amongst themselves. She approached them slowly, not wanting to interrupt them. James looked in her direction and smiled brightly, and Victoria only stared. James was now wearing a set of farmer's overalls. It wasn't the most stylish but it was better than a blood soaked orderly uniform.

"Are you ready?" James asked.

"For what?" Bella asked.

"We're not staying in Mississippi. I have many things to show you, all over the world." James replied.

Bella stared at him for a second, "But what about Alice? Don't you want to find her?"

"We will Bella, but I have no idea where she went. She is going to be like finding a needle in a haystack. Part of the part of finding her is to travel, and asking my friends that I mentioned to you before. It's going to take some time before you are reunited with your ex-lover."

"We weren't lovers." Bella said quietly. She wanted to see Alice now, she wanted to show her how she felt exactly, but James had a point. The only way to find her was to reach out and see if anyone had seen her. Surely Peter knew some vampires, and if James had friends, then they had to get a clue somewhere down the line.

"Don't worry Bella, we will find your Alice, and we will get revenge. Remember, you have all the time in the world now to find her, take some time to enjoy what you've become first. Now, shall we be on our way?" James asked. He wrapped his arm around Victoria's waist and pulled her close, waiting for Bella to respond.

She looked at the two of them together, beautiful but deadly. She didn't really know what they were like, but she had no one else in this world. She already determined that she was saying goodbye to her old life, to her friends, and her family. Her parents wouldn't miss her, no one would.

This was her future, looking back wasn't going to do any good. This was her new family now. "I'm ready. Let's go."

* * *

**Author's Note  
**

**"There can be no rebirth without a dark night of the soul, a total annihilation of all that you believed in and thought that you were." **

**-Hazrat Inayat Khan**


	13. Chapter 13

_89 years passed…_

All the years have come and gone and so have all the changes in the world, all the progress, all the destruction, the good and the evil, all of the modern technology and Bella still hasn't found the one person she was looking for. How could this be? Almost a hundred years since turning and still there was no sign of Alice…anywhere. It was like she vanished off the face of the earth, or James was playing games with her head. She had the feeling he was intentionally driving her away from finding her, she might have been naïve, but eventually everyone had to realize when they were being made a fool of, right?

Bella was fed up with James and Victoria, she learned just how unbelievably cruel James could be to people, innocent humans. Victoria was not as bad, but she went along with whatever he said, and not doing anything about a terrible situation is almost as bad as doing it yourself. She was stuck with the two of them; they would not let her go. Of course she had tried escaping, she had tried running away to find Alice on her own, but he would always find her. James would track her down, because that's what he did best, track people. She wouldn't ever make it far before he came along, forced her to go with him and promise that soon they would find Alice; they just haven't found the right people to ask. They were somewhere out there; it just took time…yeah, almost a hundred years of waiting. James didn't want her to find Alice, she wasn't completely stupid, but what was she supposed to do when he would track her down every time she tried getting away? He would not let his eyes away from her.

She became his play toy over the years, she was the third person in a romantic relationship…not that she enjoyed it. Victoria was gentle, she showed love and care, but Bella knew that she was only doing it to please James. James had his way with Bella and Victoria, two girls at once, who could give up such a delight? Surely not James, he had it made. James was aggressive, violent and often times would want the girls after he murdered a few people, and was still covered in their blood. This was not how Bella imagined her first time; this was never how Bella ever imagined any of it. She was his prisoner. She went from one prison straight into another. She may have eternity, but what was it worth if she was stuck with James?

The only way to escape, the only chance of freedom would be to eliminate James. Take care of him for good, but James was wise to her ideas. He was very intuitive, and could usually tell what she was feeling just by looking at her. There was no way he would let his guard down around Bella, he found the threat and the hatred she felt toward him enjoyable, in fact, it turned him on all the more. Victoria wouldn't let her anywhere near James either, it would always be two against one and Bella would quickly be defeated if she tried anything. She knew this, and they knew it too.

So here she was, in a living hell once more. She had grown numb over the years, the ache she felt dulled mostly. There were times where it would surge when she thought about Alice too much, but most of the time, if she stayed busy, she managed to survive. To think of this girl she only knew for a few months out of her existence, and to go through all this time still impacted by her was quite stupid to Bella. Why did she have to have that effect on her? Why did someone who hurt her still have to be on her mind? It was stupid, especially after how long it's been. It was a lifetime ago.

Bella was sitting in the very forest she was changed in all those years ago, wondering about all the people that had come and gone in her life. Her parents died several years ago, her mother from old age and her father from lung cancer. She never once visited their graves, only learned of their deaths when she decided to look them up online one day. The internet was such a wonderful creation. Bella had the world at her fingertips. There, of course, was no sign of Alice or Peter, and James or Victoria was always there by her to make sure she wouldn't discover too much.

James promised that they could go back to the asylum, to search for answers on Alice's whereabouts, something he promised only to do to get her to settle down about the girl. Most of the time Bella didn't really seem to put up a fight, but every now and then, after a few years or so, she would start asking again, and James would try to do something to ease her mind. It was only a matter of time before she realized that she had been played as a fool this entire time, and what James thought of as a fun game all those years ago, regretted the day she would discover the truth. He knew he would lose her, and was thinking of all the consequences that would bring about.

Bella was surprised that the asylum was still open all these years later. Mental health facilities were much better nowadays, or so Bella read, but the ghosts of the past still haunted the place. She was sitting on the bank of the lake, which was much shallower now, but still existed. The dock she remembered her and Alice standing on no longer existed. It was in bad shape back then, surely it wouldn't have survived all those years. She remembered all the faces of the patients and the nurses in the asylum like it was yesterday. Time went by fast for Bella, she couldn't believe so much time had gone by already. Time on earth was short for humans.

James and Victoria stood in the background, watching Bella carefully. She turned around to look at them, wondering if they were going to follow her inside or not.

"I'm going inside." Bella commented.

"I'll come with you." Victoria said, before James had the chance to say anything.

Bella nodded, she preferred Victoria over James any day.

"Don't be too long, or I'll come looking for the two of you." James remarked and vanished back into the forest.

The girls walked together in silence along the bank of the lake. They were coming in through the side, cameras had been spotted on the corners of the building but neither one seemed to care that they were on them. "I wonder if anyone is still alive." Bella said more to herself than Victoria.

Victoria thought about it for a second and responded, "I doubt it. It's been so long, and I don't think many people will still be in the same facility after all this time. That would be such a terrible existence."

Bella nodded her head, and thought about what it would be like to have lived the rest of her life in this building. They would never get the chance to see the world, and all its magnificent wonders. Some lives were such a waste, what was the point of even existing? She had to admit, James and Victoria were able to show her the world. Bella had been to every continent, seen every magnificent structure ever constructed, and seen every ocean. Being immortal wouldn't be so terrible if she was actually free to do what she wanted. She didn't think being part of a coven was a prison sentence.

The girls approached the front entrance and Bella saw that the doors were open, leading into the reception area. It was remodeled drastically; there were so many improvements that the place didn't seem so bad now. The smell however, remained the same, after all this time. The scent of blood didn't seem to bother Bella as much anymore. She learned to curb her hunger, and stuck to eating animals instead of people. She could never kill an innocent person.

The woman at the front desk smiled, and greeted the girls in a thick southern accent and asked, "What can I do for y'all?"

"I'm looking for information on my relative who was a patient here back in the late teens. I was wondering if I could get her information, if there still even is any left. I know it was quite a long time ago, but anything would be helpful." Bella learned how to read people in a matter of seconds, and react the best way possible. She knew exactly what to say to get what she wanted. Humans were rather easy to read.

The woman smiled yet again, "What was her name? I'll see if she is in our system."

"Mary Brandon." Bella simply replied.

The woman turned to the computer to the side of her and typed in the name. Images of her records popped up in seconds, Bella tried to look at the files the best she could without being too obvious. "Ah yes, Mary Alice Brandon, admitted in 1919, deceased 1920?" The woman questioned.

Bella looked down at her gold plated nametag, which said Amy, and quickly looked back up to meet her eyes, "Yes, that's my great aunt. May I have access to the records? I'm working on a family tree and would really love to get any information about her if possible. My family doesn't know very much about her…"

"It's not our policy to just hand out records to just anyone ma'am. Do you have any ID on you? I can put in a request for the records and you can pick them up in a couple of days." She looked to Bella, and then to Victoria, who stared at her with blood red eyes. It scared her so much that she backed away from the desk just slightly.

"I think I have it somewhere in my bag…" Bella began to fiddle with her bag, knowing nothing was in there. That was Victoria's signal to cause a distraction. Bella noticed that there were a few chairs on the side of the room where the entrance to the women's ward used to be, and wandered over there, pretending to dig in her purse. Victoria went to go sit on the other side of the room, wondering what she could do that would cause a distraction, she wasn't planning on doing anything and nothing really came to her mind. That's when she noticed an elderly woman staring at Bella through one of the glass windows of the entrance to the women's ward.

Bella could feel a pair of eyes on her and when she looked up, she noticed Victoria was staring in her direction. Not exactly at her, but to the side of her. Bella followed the trail of Victoria's gaze, and that's when she saw the old woman, in a wheelchair, who had her face pressed against the glass, staring at her with wide eyes.

She looked at the elderly woman for a second, something was familiar about her. It clicked in her that she knew this woman. The skin and the body may have become frail over the years, but her eyes were the same. It was Janet…after all these years. How could she still be alive? She had to be well over a hundred, and to still be in this place after all this time? What a terrible life.

The woman began shouting through the glass at Bella, pointing a finger at her and screaming as loud as she could. She didn't know what to do, Janet recognized her after all this time.

"Ma'am step away from the glass please. She can be a little jumpy at times, I apologize." Amy walked toward the window with a set of keys; she fidgeted with the lock to the door which was next to the window, while Bella stood by her side and waited. That was when Victoria went to the computer and pressed print on the screen. All the images of Alice's records began to print while the receptionist went into the door to the women's ward to try and calm down the woman. She had a radio on her and called for backup. Alice's records were only a couple of pages so it didn't take long for the printer to spit them out. Once they were done, Victoria grabbed them and motioned for Bella to follow.

The two girls left the building in a hurry, leaving the receptionist to deal with the elderly woman. When Bella looked back she noticed that Janet was clutching her chest, she hoped that everything would be alright. As the girls made their way out of the building, she saw a row of pictures on the wall of all the old nurses over the last hundred years. She recognized some of the names and faces, and noticed their death dates were also listed. None of them were alive anymore. Had Janet been the only one to survive all this time?

"What were you doing to make that old woman so scared?" Victoria was curious. She handed the papers over to Bella, who tucked them into her pocket. She took the purse she was holding and threw it in the forest as they passed a few trees, there was nothing in there, and she had stolen it from some poor woman. She had no need for it anymore.

"I was only looking at her. I think she was one of the patients while I was here, and knew who I was." Bella tried to explain, wondering what the consequences would be. Did she just kill an innocent woman?

"How could anyone still be alive?" Victoria questioned as the girls passed the lake once more and entered the protection of the forest. They would be long gone by the time anyone came to see who these strangers were lurking in the forest. No one bothered, Amy was oblivious to everything that had just happened, and when she finally had Janet calmed down, the two women were gone. She figured they just left and would return at a later time.

James stood there waiting for them almost in the exact spot where he had left them. "Did you get what you needed?" He inquired, not in a mood to stay around the area more than necessary. He had his hands gripped around his arms; he was obviously hungry and wanted to hunt.

Bella nodded her head, scanning the pages as fast as she could as they stood there. It had Alice's old address listed on the admittance papers, and it was only a few miles away. Besides a little bit of information about her treatments, there wasn't much else visible to go by. A lot of the writing had been blacked out by someone. It was almost useless.

She had to go to Alice's old house and at least see what it looked like. Maybe there was something there, something more than would lead her in the right direction, and maybe there was nothing. She had to find out.

"Her old address is on here. I want to go see what her house looked like. There's nothing else to go by except that." Bella remarked.

James looked at her for a second, annoyed and wondering if that was such a good idea to do, but then he realized that the house she lived in was probably gone by now. It would cause more harm to say no, than to just let her go.

"Alright, where is it? We'll go there now, before the sun sets." James said, holding out his hand for the papers.

"I would like to go alone." She said, pulling back from James.

"Absolutely not."

"Please James; you've been around me constantly. Please, just let me have this moment to be alone with my thoughts. I need to see it; I need closure from this mess. Enough is enough, we're never going to find her, and I need to get over this feeling. This has gone on for far too long." Bella was fed up, she just wanted to forget and move on…enough time had already been wasted on waiting for nothing. Wherever Alice was, Bella didn't care anymore. If she was happy, then so be it.

"You obviously need to feed, and I don't want this to get in the way of that." Bella added.

"Victoria can go with you then. It's either that or nothing at all." James replied. He didn't want to let her out of his sight, and trusted Victoria to keep an eye on her. Maybe this would settle the issue once and for all and nothing further would come of it.

Bella looked at Victoria, and nodded her head. Maybe she could convince her to at least have a few minutes to herself.

Bella showed Victoria the address, and together both of the girls set off to the address. She was familiar with the area, still after all these years, she knew Mississippi like the back of her hand. She hadn't been to this area of the state before, but knew where to find it. Hopefully there was something there, anything at all that would give her some sort of answer.

They were quiet on the way there for most of the time, focusing on running and getting there as fast as they could. The sun was setting, leaving a cast of Orange and Purple streaks across the sky. It was October, so the leaves on the trees were either falling off or already gone. As the girls passed by the trees through the forest, Bella noticed they helped pull off quite a few leaves. They were approaching the site faster than they expected, and the forest was running out. They would have to start walking soon, just in case people were around to see them.

Bella stopped running and looked at Victoria curiously, almost afraid to ask her.

"Can I do this alone?" Bella asked quietly.

Victoria stared at her for a second, sympathetic to what she wanted, but she didn't want to disobey James and get in trouble. "You know James won't allow it."

"Why do you always have to listen to him? He isn't your owner, you know? It's not like I'm going to run off into the forest, I don't really have anywhere to go. You can watch me from the tree line; the house is literally right over this hill. If you see anything, you can follow me, okay?" Bella was so tired of playing this game. They weren't James' pets. They could do as they pleased.

Victoria looked up at the hill, and motioned for Bella to follow her. She was considering it. "Why do you care about this girl so much? I never understood it. After all these years and you're still looking for her. Why, if all she did was hurt you and use you?" Victoria knew she wasn't telling the truth, but she thought Bella would have forgotten about this woman a long time ago.

Bella wasn't really sure how to respond. She didn't know the answer herself, "I just want closure. To know that she is out there somewhere, existing just the same as I am, drives me insane. I want to confront to, to tell her how much she hurt me, to wish the same pain on her…but at the same time, I still love her. Isn't that fucked up?"

Victoria shook her head, "No, I think it's called being in love."

The girls reached the top of the hill and noticed a few farming houses in the distance. Most of them looked abandoned, but they noticed smoke coming out of some chimneys. Bella looked in the distance, and could see which one used to belong to Alice's family. She pointed it out to Victoria; it was the second one closest to them.

"Look, there's smoke coming out of that one. Someone must still live there." Bella said, almost disappointed that she wouldn't be able to explore Alice's home fully. She would have to knock on the door and see if the owners would let her look around, which was an inconvenience, but not impossible. Bella hated socializing with people.

"Well, go on then. Be quick about it, or I'll come looking for you." Victoria said, touching Bella's shoulder and looking directly in her eyes. Gold eyes met red eyes as Bella silently thanked Victoria, and started walking in the direction of the house.

She turned around and watched as Victoria sunk back below the hill, but she knew she was watching her. This was the first time she was alone in quite a while, even if Victoria was just over the hill, it felt like a relief off her shoulders. Finally, she was alone. She took her time walking to the house, noticing all the other houses in the area. Most of the plots had overgrown grass, houses with missing pieces of wood and windows. This was the perfect place for creatures to live.

As she approached her destination, she noticed something odd about the house. It wasn't remodeled, it was just as crappy and abandoned as the rest, yet there was still smoke coming out of the chimney. Bella was put immediately on guard, maybe some bums took over the house, or some teenagers were hanging out in there.

Still she approached the house, and walked past the wooden fence with rusty barbed wire around it, which must have been there for years. Maybe Alice's dad was the one that put it up. She was cautious, but was drawn closer to the house, almost like a moth to a flame. She couldn't resist the pull, something inside of her was telling her it was okay, to come closer, and see who was there.

Did Victoria see what she was seeing? Was she going to show up and ruin everything by telling her to not go inside?

Bella took a few steps towards one of the windows that were knocked out, and looked inside. She saw that the fire that was going was just put out, and all that remained were embers. Maybe the people who were inside left. It was dark in the house, there was no electricity, and the sun continued going down. The purple cast sky did not offer much light. Bella walked around the back of the house, and saw the back door was slightly open, inviting her inside. This felt like it was a set up, but still, Bella continued inside like nothing was wrong or odd about the situation.

She took a few steps inside, not noticing how noisy she was. She was in what used to be the kitchen, but the room was empty except for a broken down table and a bunch of trash. Her eyes roamed the room for anything out of the ordinary, and continued further inside. She entered the hallway, which led to what she assumed were bedrooms and the living room. She walked down the hall and saw the same room she saw through the window, but no one was in there. She walked into the living room and looked around only to see nothing, but she heard something. Some kind of movement, so quiet that the average person wouldn't be able to hear it. She stopped in her tracks and heard it again. It was coming from the hallway she was just in. Bella turned on her heel, and now cautiously walked back into the hallway. She was trying to be quiet about it, but knew that most likely the person had already heard her coming in.

Bella walked down the hallway, opening doors, along the way, checking to see if anyone was there, only to see nothing. There was one door remaining, at the very end of the hall. Whoever it was, was in that room. She approached the door, and placed her hand on the door knob. She felt her hand turning the knob and pushed open the door only to be met with a sight she never would have imagined.

There she was, Alice. She sat on the remains of what used to be a bed, and stared up at Bella with wide, golden eyes. She looked like an innocent puppy, waiting for their master to come home to them.

If Bella could breathe, she would have her breath taken away. She stared, shocked into motionlessness, and had no words for this girl, who was sitting here like nothing had ever happened after all these years. Still the same as the last day she saw her, Bella could remember seeing her being taken away with Peter, yelling for her. That was the last memory of Alice she had.

Alice stood up swiftly, and Bella jolted back into life, moving back quickly. Alice was innocent enough about her movements, but Bella was terrified of her. She didn't know what to do. So many feelings came flooding to her in that moment, and there was nothing more she wanted to do in that moment than to kiss those beautiful lips of her. She ached for this girl, even still.

Bella backed up into the hallway as Alice approached her. She was curious, neither one of them still speaking a word to the other. What was Alice trying to do? Was she going to kill her? Was she going to tell her how wonderful her life had been since they dumped her in the asylum all those years ago? Speaking of which, where was Peter? He would be coming out soon, ready to attack her. She had to be ready for it, ready to strike. She hoped Victoria would come to her rescue soon.

Bella hit the back of the wall of the hallway and was stuck. Her eyes were glued to Alice as she continued to approach her, neither one of them looking away. Bella was trapped, waiting for Alice to strike. Surely it was coming at any moment now; she was waiting for it, expecting it. This was how she was going to die, wasn't it? Just like that. All these years waiting and it was finally over.

Alice smiled a shy little smile, and stuck her hand out, which made Bella flinch, cracking the wall of the hallway. She closed her eyes then, waiting for the moment of death to come, hoping it would be quick. She fell right into this trap, how could she be so stupid?

"Hi, I'm Alice Cullen." Alice's voice interrupted Bella's thoughts.

_What…_she thought to herself.

Bella opened her eyes, truly confused at what was happening. She stared at the girl she met all those years ago. What was going on?

She looked at Bella with that same smile still on her face, even after all these years; it was still the same beautiful smile.

"Who might you be?" She asked Bella, acting as this was something innocent, as if nothing was wrong.

Bella opened her mouth to respond, not really knowing anything else to say and too confused to think of anything proper, she responded, "Uh…I'm Bella Swan." How smooth.

"Nice to meet you Ms. Swan. I've been expecting you for quite some time now. I'm not planning on hurting you, so I do wish you would come away from that wall." Alice said with a small laugh, showing her bright white smile off to Bella, which made her melt even after all this time.

Just what was going on? Bella's thoughts had totally been turned upside down in the course of the last few minutes. Why was Alice acting this was? Like she had no idea who she was…

* * *

**Author's Note**

**"If two people are meant to be together, eventually they'll find their way back."**

**-Chuck Bass**


End file.
